1. Jacklighting deer = If it’s just spotlighting... I’d say a fine $100 range. If there is a (projectile launching apparatus of any type in the vehicle) potato gun, harpoon gun, air gun, .270, crossbow, blow gun what have you, then they perpetrator should forfeit that weapon+ a hefty fine $2000ish. If they have killed a deer or shots have been fired (attempted to kill) then vehicle and weapon should be lost, larger fine (I like the pay by the inch rule for bucks) loss of 3 years+ of hunting privileges, community service and maybe a night or two in the county lockup.
2. Killing a deer out of season = Large fine $2000+, Pay by the inch for bucks, loss of weapon used, loss of hunting privileges for upcoming seasons.
3. Exceeding the bag limit for deer = $500 per deer ($1000 for a buck + pay by the inch rule) and one or two less tags for the following season
I know there could be a lot of what “if’s” put into these but this is a quick “rough” assessment. I like pay by the inch, you kill a 170” class deer then…. 170x $20 per inch= $3,400 on top of a base amount.

1. Jacklighting deer - 2 Year License Suspension
2. Killing a deer out of season - 5 Year License Suspension
3. Exceeding the bag limit for deer - 2 Year License Suspension

People will pay fines and move on...taking away their privilege to hunt hurts so much more. Plus...if fines are to high and people don't have the money, then what's that really accomplish...

1) $1k, license revoked 1 year, 6 mon jail
2) $5k, license revoked 2 year, 1 year jail
3) $10k, license permanently revoked, 2 year jail

1. Jacklighting deer (with intent/ability to shoot) - 5 Year License Suspension
2. Killing a deer out of season - 10 Year License Suspension
3. Exceeding the bag limit for deer - 5 Year License Suspension

As for the folks trying to feed their families, operate undetected man!!!

Lets try this again.
In WV:
1. Automatic 10 days in jail, $100.00 fine $180 court
cost, 10 points hunting license ( lose hunting
license 2 years)
2. Min $20 fine Max $300 fine possible 100 days jail
$180 court cost 6 points on hunting license.
$100 Replacement fee
3. Min $20 fine Max $300 fine possible 100
days jail
$180 court cost 6 points on hunting license.
$100 Replacement fee

When a person gets 10 points on their hunting license they loose their hunting license for 2 years.

Magistrate decides what fine will be between $20 and $300
and if jail time will be .

Can lose anything they are using to violate the law( truck, gun etc.)

1) fine $1000ish and loss of hunting and fishing privelages for 5-10 years
2)loss of hunting and fishing privelages for life fine of $5000-$10000ish
3)loss of hunting and fishing privelages for life fine of $30000 or more
all should include restitution costs based on the formulas used now. hopefully these offenses happen in a state in the interstate wildlife violator compact so they lose even more.
And just for the record if a homeless family poaches a deer to keep from starving to death i will have a hard time reporting them.

I'd imagine the fines are plenty harsh already and the judge I hope has discretion for someone who doesn't have much money for food. I hear some states back east have real high unemployment.

Jacklighting means spotlighting and killing right, because spotlighting is legal here...

jacklighting: $500 fine loss of hunting license 4years
deer out of season: i think it should multiply if in spring because its like killing potentially 3 deer. but also $500 loss of license for 3 years
Bag limit: cost of tag X11 loss of license 2years.
Repeat offenses should be double.
I know many offenders just end up hunting without a license which kind of just makes an even worse situation but it is a privilege and no license is a good reminder.

I try not to gudge people who are trying to feed their families. However the case may not be for food then I get really upset. More public hunting opportunities are needed. I do not condone such behavior I just wish we did more for the hungry than donate what we kill. for instance nusance deer kills that farmers shoot are not harvested and usually go to waste. We could do better.

I guess my problem with suspending or taking away hunting privileges from these scoundrels is that a license is just a piece of paper - it isn't going to stop them from going out and killing deer, especially if they've already proven that they think they are above the law. At least if they're buying a license and breaking the rules they're at least still contributing to the operating costs of the DNR or wherever the license money is going these days.

I like the idea of confiscating the vehicle and weapons, and a hefty fine. For those that worry about fines being "too high" there's an easy way to avoid them - don't poach.

I am not sure being more impoverished will help people not shoot deer for food and not being able to own a gun doesn't keep people from finding one, I am just trying to get people in camp to stop killing legal 6 month old deer. This kid was like, but "they are more tender", and since he lives close to the lease I am pretty sure it has been used like a meat grocery store year round, but the reality is 6 month old deer are so small that they don't produce very much meat, and when I think about 6 month old nubbin bucks that were conceived in the second rut taken before they can contribute and mature I want to pay more and push folks out of the club. I will age an old buck and marinate the loins and it provides plenty of tender meals, but this kid will want to shoot these deer until he is taught otherwise.

Jacklighting is a danger to the community at large and shows no respect for the lives and safety of others. They should be accorded the same fate as wifebeaters and violent offenders: loss of firearms ownership priviledges like other felons.

The other violations should have penalties like other game for exceeding bag limits and out of season. Nothing that sacred about a deer over a goose, for example.

I will have to make a statement here that I have made in other posts. I have never arrested anyone for spotlighting that needed the meat to feed their families. 90% of the time alcohol was involved and it was a game. The people had the cash in their pockets to pay the fine so I think they could have bought groceries. We had crop damage permits out all the time and all they had to do was to contact us and we could put them in contact with a landowner that had a damage permit and they could kill how many deer they needed to feed their family. Don't be fooled to believe it is to feed their family it is a game. Thank goodness a lot of the time I won the game.

My first instinct is to say hang em high, but even I think that might be a little excessive. I think it should be different from state to state depending on the harm. Where deer are jumping out in front of vehicles like luv bugs on the Florida Turnpike, maybe the fines don't need to be as high as places where the deer are scarce. But wrong is still wrong--jacklighting is the worst of the three--take the hunting license on the first offense--maybe cut off the trigger fingers for a second offense--both of em--one for the light & one for the gun. LOL

Scott, as a former Military Game Warden, Civilians were tried in County Court and chances are the Judge happens to be a friend of a friend or worst yet, next of Kin! They don't take to kindly messing with dar Kin Folks, know what I'm saying dar Vern!!!

I think that the fines should not be as rediculous as some of you have been saying, this is a deer for gosh sakes, if it's a trophy make the fine stiffer and if not then minimal. If you used a gun then loss of the weapon used to commit the crime, and a loss of 1 years privileges. Most people will learn after one time, we don't give stiif sentences to drug dealers and wife beaters as bad as some of you want to give poachers. No felonies, that hurts persons chances of holding down jobs to feed their families, if they can't afford it then they can't so why destroy their life over a deer. they have a family don't peanalize their wife and kids. be compassionate and take care of one another, a good rule to live with.

Any of the 3 would be illegally taking a deer. In Iowa its $1500 restitution for a doe, and up to a max. of $20,000 for a trophy buck, depending on the size. They will also pay hefty fines,lose weapons and vehicles, and lose hunting priveliges in all states in the compact for at least 3 years.

i think fines should be stiff for all wildlife violations but should be based on the violators ability to pay. it is very difficult for a person making minimun wage to pay a fine ranging into the thousands, but to a person earning a 6 figure income a 5 thousand dollar fine is like a slap on the wrist. judges should have flexability to fine accordingly. since poaching of all kinds is rampant in my area, jail time should be mandatory for all offenders. "if you can't do the time,don't do the crime."

Seriously, you can't get some people to pay a ten dollar seat belt ticket, and plenty of people drive every day with no license or after it has been suspended or revoked.

Loss of rifle, vehicle and or reasonable jail time would be more realistic punishments.

Society operates more successfully with a few rules and or, regulations for the common cause. Since the perpetrator(s) were violating the law by taking something, he or she ought not only replace what they took, but made to serve the part of society that had their interests violated.

For example, one could best be prosecuted by helping and aiding the Department of Wildlife by talking to High School and College students, outdoor groups and enthusiasts about the inherent characteristics of violating game restrictions.
But first, a fine must be levied to pay the cost of the wildlife and time lost investigating and implementing such an unconventional penalty.

It seems that just a fine isn't enough to keep someone from violating the law, for example, a speeding ticket. But if someone had to humble themselves, and speak to the younger generation after studying the effects of their poor choices, it would "probably" sink in a little deeper not only to the speaker and violater, but to the up and coming outdoor enthusiasts.

There is an old latin phrase, "Praemonitus praemunitus" which translates to "Forewarned is Forearmed!"
Knowledge of imminent danger, breaking the law, taking something that doesn't belong to you, can prepare us, as well as younger people to overcome it, through preparation of both the heart and mind, through someone else's experience.

They say, "Knowledge is King," and it is, but e-x-p-er-i-e-n-c-e, first hand, personal experience, sometimes trumps knowledge.
Some minds, whether young or old, experience is "the" only teacher.

I have often thought on this topic and others will probably disagree, but tag the fine to double what the game farms are charging. A cull, with a score less than 125 would end up about $5k, a score of 180 plus could end up close to $40k plus loss of firearm or bow and if a vehicle was used in the crime ... confiscate it. Oh also make it a felony.

stealing is stealing. If someone stole grocery from the grocery store an was caught,they would go to jail the law don't care if the family was hungry.
the penalty should be the same as whatever your states classify as theft.

$250 fine, restitution for the animal and permanent loss of hunting privileges. I did a little checking and it appears that the old "I was only trying to feed my family" routine is without merit. Today there is no place in this country that aid cannot be found, from the largest city to the poorest village in the remote mountainous areas of our Nation. Even if a person is an illegal alien they can get food stuffs and medical treatment just for the asking. The food stuffs will not be venison, nor the medical treatment from one of the big Hospitals (most likely a free clinic), but it's there for the asking, and no one needs to resort to poaching unless they enjoy putting one over on the local conservation officer, or wants to put forward an image of himself as the poor downtrodden woodsman self supporting his poor family. Poaching is Poaching - Stealing is Stealing.

Interesting range of opinions here. If you're honest with yourself, you've screwed up a time or two in your life. To learn from it, it's gotta hurt. But everyone deserves a second chance. Repeat offenders are the ones who should have their trigger fingers cut off and spend some time in jail.

DEATH BY JACKLIGHT!

1- If there is a firearm in the vehicle then 1k fine(attempted to kill loss of privleges for 3 years.

2-$3,000 fine for each deer and loss of hunting privliges for 1 season for each deer killed out of season.

3-$3,000 fine for each deer and loss of hunting privliges for 1 season for each deer over the limit.

Concerning those Vuitton handbags, do you like them with a short or long shoulder strap? A leather strap or gold chain? Just kidding!!!!!!!!!