Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations BG and CC value

I have a poacher. A couple of weeks ago I found a yellow cork hung up in some submerged brush. It's still there. I fed last Friday and not nearly as many fish came to feed. I bought and installed a Cuddeback IR. I hope he/she/they return and don't spot the camera. If I get pics, I will turn them over to the Game Warden. More than likely he or my neighbors will know who it is and I will seek to prosecute both criminally and civilly.

Is there any place that I can get the kind of info I need for these purposes? I realize that I can't prove how many fish and of what size have been taken. But how much is a nine or eight inch BG worth? How about a 10 inch? How about a 20 inch CC? Bass?

Fish hatchery maybe?

The state DNR or DOW often have legal values of fish for their state to recoup value from man induced fish kills or losses (poaching). These values are probably the best ones to use in getting judgement from the court. Many fish hatcheries don't grow and sell large sportfish due to the time it takes to produce those fish. Plus hatcheries often have losses when they overwinter fish. Sell them in the fall at top dollar while fish are still alive. IMO on this topic, time does have value similar to buying a tree from a nursery. Often fish farms sell adult sportfish by the pound, sometimes by the inch. Others such as Sunil will have a good idea if what they pay for larger fish.

I hope you catch the stinkin' thieves.

Sorry to hear that DD.

Land mines...

There is a thread here about some guy in TX selling adult fish and the prices. Bob could tell you. Bill those DOW legal values are low when compared to hatchery fish and based on large #s. They do that to avoid having to litigate value in such cases. I have seen them settle for restocking with small stocker fish instead. That is a good place to start for info.

DD1 I hope they get their just reward.

Argh David...I'm sorry to hear this. Makes my blood boil for you. I second Travis' landmine suggestion, but maybe also add some claymores in the trees to make sure you increase your maiming zone.

I hope your Cuddeback gets em...I'm still awaiting my first poacher...hope I don't catch them in the act. Good luck keep us in the loop.

When and/or if you catch that poacher then I will be glad to help you determine losses based on length and species.

I will help too Dave. We have talked about that on your property before. I'd be happy to help anyway I can.

Dave, I sure hope you get em'!

Thanks all; I'll be keeping the camera there for a long time and will check every time I go there.

I have no suspect in mind. With tools like Google Earth, no pond is really secluded anymore.

The time it happened? I had been there for 1 day and a half getting set up for Childrens Hunting weekend. I left on Friday afternoon to return home. My Grandson and his best friend played football the next morning. When that ended, we packed up and headed to our place. As we were heading out to hunt, I saw the floating cork. Had I been there as usual, I might have caught them.

I have some mixed emotions about catching a thief while I am carrying a rifle. I have been known to get a "little" upset. I also have some mixed emotions about catching him/her/them when I am unarmed.

It is to bad we can't value the stolen fish like damages in illegal tree harvesting. 3X appraised value would be a nice punishment, and like a forester sets the value of the trees we can use a someone in this industry to set the value. Maybe some would think twice when it hits the pocketbook.

Jeff you can put on proof of damages. In most states trespass is an intentional tort and carries the possibility of punitive damages. There is your multiplier. Timber 3x damages are only part of the question as timber theft can land you in jail - so can trespass. Those 2 are an odd mix of civil tort and criminal. Same can be said for the intentional torts like assault and battery for example. Every state is different. Here is a link for some general background and some state specific info.

http://www.atra.org/show/7343

It's sad but Courts don't generally consider fish in the same light as other animals. It generally involves a slap on the wrist in rural counties.