Wow! it’s amazing, the T.W.R.A. finally caught a poacher this month. I guess in the entire state of Tennessee there was only one irresponsible hunter. Good job, guys. See details here:
http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/2017/01/12/deer-costs-man-nearly-10000-under-new-tennessee-law/96480784/
I guess since this guy will probably learn his lesson, there probably won’t be any infractions next year. What a friggin’ joke, the T.W.R.A. is probably the most overblown budgeted agency to exist in the history of the U.S. There is almost no accountability for anything they do. Since the agency somehow convinced the state, or the powers that be, that on-line reporting of animals taken during the various hunting seasons, was a good idea, there has been more poaching and erroneous reporting, or the lack of reporting than ever before.
This policy has absolved the agency of the responsibility of woodland patrols. Even if an unethical hunter does happen to be questioned by an agent, all he or she has to do is say they intend to check the animal later when they get home. There is no means to check the animal in the field, because the on board computers in the patrol vehicles are “closed systems” that enable officers to check D.M.V. records, and criminal backgrounds. These systems cannot be tied to the general internet, because of vulnerability hack from the general public.
I witness agents mostly doing landscape duties in the W.M.A.’s. I happen to live very close to one of these areas. I am an avid hunter, and purchase my $116 sportsman hunting license every year. I hunted in the W.M.A. near my home for several years. I have never encountered a T.W.R.A. agent in the field.
There is literally no ability to enforce wildlife violators. What is even more unsettling, is that there has been no objection that I can see, from either wildlife advocates or hunters. Any ethical hunter knows that when an unethical hunter doesn’t follow the rules, it diminishes from the ethical one’s success in the field. This is all o.k. Because when there is an over harvest situation, the T.W.R.A. will just use their overblown budget to relocate animals into the affected area, reduce quotas for a little while, and repeat the process when needed.
The T.W.R.A. has completely abandoned the theory of sustainability through proper management of the state’s W.M.A.’s. Abandoning this recently adopted policy would mean that agents would actually have to be trained for work in the field. Interact with hunters, and get real “on the ground” knowledge of animal populations and harvest tallies.
In most states, the bag limits and quarry specifications for public and private lands are consistent. Not in Tennessee, you can kill any buck with visible antlers on private land, but there are antler restrictions on public lands. Gee, do you think anyone would lie, if confronted by a T.W.R.A. agent about where the harvest occurred? Another good regulation, wildlife feeders may be used until two weeks prior to hunting an area. I don’t know why the T.W.R.A. just doesn’t sell whitetail deer for people to raise in pens until they are ready for slaughter.
Using any attractant to kill wildlife is plain and simply unethical. Wal-Mart in Tn. sells bags marked “deer corn” from September through January for the sole purpose of this unethical practice. Unfortunately the ignorant policies of the T.W.R.A. are not likely to change any time soon. Out of curiosity, I wonder how many illegal feeding stations were ticketed for infractions this year in Tennessee?