I did a ride along with the Conservation cops for an eight hour shift last year.
At the crack of dawn we encountered a guy in a tree stand that was violating
three laws - No orange apparel, trespassing and hunting over bait.
It was a little scary approaching a man with a loaded weapon in his hands.
He was fine, but what if he was wanted for something?
We also did surveillance on a known poacher for a while.
We finished by happening across a pair of guys with forged tags on their truck (a felony).
They also were carrying weapons and weed and one of the guys had a warrant out for his arrest.
A very memorable day!

_________________
Host of the weekly "We Fish ASA" podcast
Weekly columnist for the Northwest Herald
Bi-monthly columnist for Illinois Outdoor News magazine
Former host of The Outdoors Experience on WIND and The Great Outdoors on CLTV
http://www.wefishasa.com

I thought all these guys hunted over bait? or at least within shooting range?

And last night, watched an outdoors show, when they got into the stand they took off the Oranges and went camo.

trespassing, well thats another story

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Fuckin'-A right, the both of ya.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

I know someone more than qualified to get so many of these jobs they have and she cant get hired by any of them by sending in a resume the regular way

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

In Wisconsin you're allowed to bait. Corn, apples, salt licks etc. You can skirt the bait rule by planting food plots (clover, winter peas, winter greens etc). You can also use a rifle.

You have to wear 400 inches of orange when hunting during gun season. Archery hunters can go full camo except while hunting during gun season.

Going down to So. Illinois for hunting this weekend is one of my favorite activities of the year. My dad and brother love hunting but I just go to sleep in the forest and grub. Falling asleep in a forest is very peaceful and refreshing!

From the IDNR website - "What am I required to wear.
Firearm Deer Hunting - It is unlawful to hunt deer with any firearm when not wearing a solid blaze orange cap/hat and an upper outer garment displaying at least 400 square inches of solid blaze orange material. Note: Camouflage blaze orange does not meet the requirements.
Archery Deer Hunting during a Firearm Season - During the muzzleloader only, the youth, the late winter and the CWD deer season, archery deer hunters must comply with the requirements to wear blaze orange in counties open to those gun deer seasons.
Archery Turkey Hunting during a Firearm Season - When and where it is legal to archery turkey hunt during any gun deer season, archery turkey hunters must comply with the same blaze orange requirements as gun deer hunters."
The guy we found didn't even have any orange clothing with him.
You cannot bait in Illinois. In Wisconsin you can.
The poacher had put up a bait pile on his neighbor's property about eighty feet from his own front door. He rigged up a camera. When the deer came to eat, the poacher would step outside his front door and nail the deer with a crossbow.

_________________
Host of the weekly "We Fish ASA" podcast
Weekly columnist for the Northwest Herald
Bi-monthly columnist for Illinois Outdoor News magazine
Former host of The Outdoors Experience on WIND and The Great Outdoors on CLTV
http://www.wefishasa.com