Big Named People Breaking the Laws

How many of the so called super hunters that you know of have been caught breaking some game law ? Like Noeal Feather ?

[shooter921]

I know of one guy that was in the record books with a nice buck that got taken out becuase he was shinning and he had a bow in his truck. I look up the name and post it when I find it. I don't know how famous he is though.


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Time to get those reels back in the water, and catch some BIG fish!

[Erik]

His name wasn't Rick Calderone was it? Way I understand it is Rick was shining early in the AM before day light. He would find a big one and set up accordingly to hunt during legal daylight hours. The first offense they let him slide, but the second time they took his name from the record books.
The worse offender to me was that Lewis guy from alabama. I use to really look up to him. He was busted hunting mule deer and elk in a preserve. When I found out about it I was really disapointed :(

[Dangler]

The Michigan hunter was Craig Calderone. The CBM removed his buck from the #1 spot in their record book. The #2 buck that tooks his place was killed by.....Mitch Rompola.

I thought that the CBM was playing politics. Craig was shining deer on his family's property where he hunts. Yes, he broke the law, but that had nothing to do with the deer that was already #1. Later, Mitch had his own falling out with CBM. Sort of makes you wonder.

Craig has a whitetail museum just off I-94 near Grass Lake. You should stop in and see it sometime. A lot of neat stuff, admission was only $2 when I was there a few years ago.

[Eastern Yooper]

I don't trust ANY of the so-called 'professional' hunters.

To me, they're all a joke. They're in it for the money and I feel it cheapens the sport for us all.

Stop for a moment and see how easy ditzy shows like 'Buckmasters' makes deer hunting seem: Bubba hops on his 4-wheeler and rides to his blind; rattles his antlers and blows a grunt tube, and Wallah! 13 deer pop out in a field and Bubba debates for several minutes on which one to shoot. Finally, he takes a 12 pt. weighing-in at 224 lbs.

Gimme a break.

I'm going on a Wyoming elk hunt this October, and while I've never been elk hunting before, I know it's going to be easy because it only involves blowing a bugle and waiting for a Royal to come running in.... because I've seen this many, many times on T.V.

Get my drift?

ALL those fellers on T.V. are in it for the money..... not for the love of the outdoors. Some are outright frauds; and sadly, that's what happens when hunting gets too commercialized.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Eastern Yooper;
Amen, brother, amen! You mirrored my thoughts exactly. I think that any time you put the word "professional" in front of any sport, the big $ is expected to just roll in, no matter what the sport (football, golf, bowling, hunting, fishing, ect). Not only is there a lot of money to be made of T.V., but product endorsments as well. I refuse to pay $50-$200/ ticket to see some grown men play a game that I used to enjoy as a child so they (and all thier hangers-on) can make million dollar salaries. It really irks me that there are police officers, fire fighters, nurses, ect. out there that are labeled as "professionals" and are expected to act accordingly, and many won't make in thier lifetimes what some of these dope athetes make in a career.
Getting back to the hunting issue, I won't use a product endorsed by a "celebrity" unless I have seen it perform and it does what is claimed. And you are right, the shows are laughable--I wish all my hunts went so well! I would like to see some of the "off the floor" footage were someone makes a miss or a bad shot, or where the 4wheelers gets stuck or something. Might make them appear a little more human.
As for athletes, I have nothing against them; I just can't see how they justify those salaries.....especially when most cant complete a sentence (and they all went to college!). If you really want to see some good sports competition, then spend your money wisely--go and watch your local High school sports teams (Go Redhawks). It will be $5 well spent, you know where your money is going, and you won't have to worry about some drunk spilling his beer on you. It is also a great way to spend an evening with your family. Remember, be a High School Athletic Supporter (he,he,he....couldn't resist) ;)
Yooper, where in Wyoming are you going? We hunted just outside of yellowstone on the South fork of the Shoshone two years ago (mule deer hunt). Good luck!

[Eastern Yooper]

I'm going to Encampment, Wyoming, which is about 90 miles west of Cheyenne.

I'm doing a 7-day hunt in the Medicine Bow wilderness. Its fully outfitted with guides: Ride horses in; wall tents; meals; the whole nine yards.

Its something I've been dreaming about my whole life and it is going to be extra special because my dad is going with me.

now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that I draw a bull tag..... I'll know Feb 28th.

And DITTO on professional sports in this country; there is ENTIRELY too much emphasis placed on them. I'm still fuming that 60+ million dollars of taxpayer money from this state was used to build a new stadium for the Tigers! But thats a whole other topic!

[Chad]

We hunted that area for deer about 8-10 years ago. We set up camp in the hills and would come to the campground in Riverside to shower. Showers were $1 and towels were .50. We went 5 for 5 mulies. Make sure you go to Saratoga and hop in the hot springs. Good Luck! Chad.

[Erik]

Not all pro hunters are greedy frauds. I like Chuck Adams!
I do agree on the hunting TV shows though, what a joke!

I totally aggree on the Big TV shows with there game farm hunts that are totally blown so far out of proportion. As for me spending money on someones museum i don't think so. i will not contribute to some one like that . i was at a deer hunting Expo in Columbus a few years ago and right after Noel Featherless was stripped of dignity by PLEADING GUILY i told him he had a lot of never just BEING here. I was totally disgusted. I was supprised that a lot of people didn't care and were still buying his gimic :(( i also realize that was my choice and not everyones opinion.


[This message has been edited by sportsmaster (edited 02-07-2001).]

[Fred Bear]

I live close to the whitetail museum in grass lake and I did'nt realize that Mr. Calderone had been caught poaching :(. This realy supises me because I have been there on a couple of occations and I never got the feel that he was doing that kind of thing. I went there and saw Milo Hanson and his Buck a couple of years ago :). Where did you guys find out about Calderone shining?

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"In the wind he's still alive"

[shooter921]

I heard about it from my uncle. He had bought a record book of whitetails and he said that the guy was taken out for shining with a bow in his car. Nice buck though

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Time to get those reels back in the water, and catch some BIG fish!

[Erik]

Poaching isn't the right term. He was caught shining. No one has ever accused him of poaching that I'm aware of. It was wrote up in "field and stream" midwest edition, several years ago. He was warned after the first offense, and after the second his record was removed.

[Dangler]

Back when Craig Calderone's deer was #1, he had Gene Wensel come to the Jackson Raquet Club and give a seminar. I attended and enjoyed the evening. Craig owned the place and was a tennis pro, and maybe still is. He's one of those people that does well at the things he attempts.

It's ironic that he and Mitch Rompola both had the biggest bowkills in this state, and were chastised for things they did that had nothing to do with the harvest of their trophies. If you ever kill a record deer, think about your history before you report it, and walk a straight line for years afterward, or you'll be crucified. That's the lesson I've learned, although I doubt if it will ever become an issue :).

Regarding those pro hunts, think about it. Who foots the bill for those hunts? The sponsors. If you were paying thousands of dollars to some guys "field testing" your product, wouldn't you insist that they show as much success as possible? They have 22 minutes in a half hour show (commercials=8 minutes) to display their product and show you a harvest. You wouldn't watch if it showed your typical, deerless hunt. I agree, I laugh when I see bucks come running the instant they bang two horns together, but you have to remember, it probably took 5 days of dawn to dusk filming to get that footage. And they usually hunt controlled areas.

That's why I enjoy the local shows put on by Fred Trost, Rob Trott and James Ford. It's real.

[rrbuckmaster]

What about Coleman Young, didn't he get cault without a fishing lin. sometime ago? Seems to me a read that somewhere....

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HUNTING IS NOT JUST A PASTIME, iTS THE BEST TIME!BE SMART,BE SAFE & DONT DRINK & HUNT!!

[Mptycreel]

I know that the hunting shows can seem a bit unrealistic, but I also admire all these people who are making a living (and probably a good one) while doing the thing they love most. How can you turn down the chance to hunt for a living????

i heard that Myles Keller was caught up in his treestand with a bow at 11:00 pm and night. a couple years back. Does anyone else have any information on this ?

[Fred Bear]

if ole Calderone was shining deer with a bow in his car what do you think his intentions were? A poacher is a person who breaks the law and the laws were wrote to give the game "fair chase". If he had a deer on the books then got caught doing ilegal stuff the likly hood that he took the record deer using iligal means is high. Besides the fact that I do not wish for rule breakers to represent the very best of the sport I enjoy.

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http://www.visitgainesville.net/fredbear2/images/bearheadshot.gif "In the wind he's still alive"

[Tim Baker]

Serial Fish Killer, I can remember watching a fishing show one day at my Grandma’s and she said that some guy was underwater putting the fish on the line for the guys in the boat. My brother and I never laughed so hard and we told her that she was crazy. I guess she was right after all ;) . My Grandma has since passed and I had forgotten about that day until your post, thanks.

Tim


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http://www.geocities.com/wildlifegifs/deer7.gif

[SAK]

Eastern yooper and Dangler, you guys said about what i would say, thanks for letting me relax my slow typing fingers! one thing i disagree with you on Eastern yooper is using a guide when you go out west. wouldn't it be more special to get the job done without somebody leaning over your shoulder and saying "take that one"? I guess i could see the need for a guide when you don't have much time to scout though. if we ever could afford to do that we might very well hire a guide too. Disregard my disagreement.

[Dangler]

Let's not be too hard on Mr. Calderone and assume all his deer have been poached. Let me tell a story that happened in Illinois last November to a guy I know named Bob.

Bob had filled his tag and was hanging around camp. An elderly man hunting near camp shot a buck that went onto park property. Bob offered to help retrieve it, contacted the park personnel, and they gave him permission to retrieve it, but all weapons must remain in a case in the park, so he couldn't carry a gun. Bob found the deer still alive, tried to dispatch it with his knife, and got in a helluva fight with the buck. It beat him up pretty bad and he cut his thumb, 13 stitches worth. He ended up beating it to death with a limb. When he drug it back to his truck, the park people checked him. His gun was unloaded and cased, but the zipper lacked three inches of being completely shut, so he got a $75 ticket for uncased weapon. For all his good intentions, he was cut, battered, bruised and poorer.

To me, a violation for uncased weapon in a park is similar to lighting up a deer with a cased bow behind the seat (Calderone's situation). So is Bob a poacher now? Are all his trophies now tainted?

I would say don't label someone a poacher unless you know all the facts.

[Fred Bear]

You make a very good point Dangler. And not everyone who breaks the law has done it with intentions of taking game. I have just heard of people illigaly taking game so much it makes me ill. Expecially when they kill big bucks and then claim they have a new record. I am not acusing calderone for killing his record by illigal means however it could look suspisious to others if he was caught doing something illigal after the fact. It paints a bad image for all hunters when this happens.

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http://www.visitgainesville.net/fredbear2/images/bearheadshot.gif "In the wind he's still alive"

[Eastern Yooper]

SAK: I originally found these talk forums while researching and planning for an elk hunt. Countless hours I have spent for the last 16 months pouring thru books, magazines, the net, and talking to a TON of outfitters out west.

What I have I learned thus far?

That I don't know a THING about elk hunting: Where to go; what to bring; how to hunt; what to expect; etc. Plus, you can easily spend a few grand on a 'do-it-yourself' hunt.

So: This one time I'm paying for the services of an outfitter. I met him on another forum and we've gotten to be pretty close 'friends'; we've even talked on the phone several times. He's a small operation and has excellant references, so I figure that spending the $$$ one time will teach me alot and spare me a lot of mistakes I'd otherwise make.

I can't afford a guided hunt every couple years and eventually plan on going it on my own.... but just this once I want the whole 9 yards.

The only thing that has really got me scared it the altitude.... we'll be hunting @ an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet. Friends who have hunted out west say it can really knock you down, and there's no way to prepare for it.

Eastern Yooper :) Try getting there a couple of days earlier and just hanging around the town should help a bit. You also OWE it to your self to be in the BEST physical condition you can be in. Try also to at least to ride a horse about once a week for a few months before you get there at least 4 hours each ride. The altitude is somthing that you have to experience to believe but after a few days you will be ok. My wife and i do not take our horses all the way out there for that reason . That altitude affects our horses as well as us. I might offer one more suggestion be sure to call lots of refferences on your guides. Hope this helps


gare

[Tim Baker]

Eastern Yooper, I have been out west hunting twice and all I can say is get in the best shape possible. I was in ok shape on my first trip and I just about died, I lost 10 pounds in 10 days of hunting. I was in much better shape on the second trip. Motivation wasn’t much of a problem after the first trip and it made my second trip more enjoyable. It’s important to build up leg strength and unfortunately running doesn’t help much to get your legs in shape for climbing. I found that riding a bike and the stair climbers were the best exercise for my legs.

Are you hunting with a gun or bow?

Tim

[This message has been edited by Tim Baker (edited 02-07-2001).]

[Eastern Yooper]

Gun.

Season opens Oct. 15th.

[SAK]

Eastern Yooper, Good luck on your trip. It sounds like alot of fun. I don't know anything about elk hunting either so for the trip of a lifetime it would be wise to hire a guide. My father in-law has been out west quite a few times after mulies and elk and he isn't the type of guy to want a guide. He also hasn't gotten an elk yet either but has taken mule deer. I got a kick out of what one of his hunting partners told him when they were standing on the side of a mountain and could see for miles in any direction.... "We got em' surrounded!".... Good luck to ya!

[Dutchman]

The way a sportsman is put under a microscope and his history checked is the reason I have never entered one of my many trophies!I just couldn't stand the pressure of being ogled and awed by all your reverance. :rolleyes: