Good to see you around old friend.

IDK! I'd give him a much better chance if he was dealing with a state GW. Most of those I've had contact with seem quite reasonalble......Feds, not so much (not based on personal contact but that of a close friend).

Regards,
hm

I would like to buy him a beer. That's my 2cents. Hawks are out of control and need thinning. Because you asked.

... and another.

Whoever shot that Hawk saved the lives off a lot of rabbits. I'm not sure why anybody would care if someone shot a hawk. Yes it's illegal but so is having a couple beers and driving home. Someone is over-sensitive here in my opinion. I always hear stories about my dad his brother and my great-uncle driving around shooting them out the window. There were quail and rabbits back then too....

I'm more or less leaning towards this way of thinking. Would I shoot a hawk? No. Would I tell you if I did?...No!!!lol...But no seriously. Send that guy to the Panhandle. The hawks are thick here.

My dad works for a guy that has pen raised quail for guided hunts. It's crazy how many hawks kill by flying over until the quail fly up in the net and they grab them. A lot of times they just pull the heads off trying to get them through the net. If I were him I'd be getting a hold of the game warden to come trap some hawks or something. It's stupid how many birds he loses.

Here is an option nobody mentioned yet.

Have the state wildlife officer issue a citation to the guy for shooting the hawk. The officer can request leniency on the citation by the court since the defendant self reported the violation. The defendant pleads guilty. The judge has the defendant pay a small fine or none at all.

The end result is the law is enforced, the defendant did the right thing by self reporting, the defendant pays a small fine or none at all. The mental anguish and embarrassment the defendant receives from the club membership for shooting the hawk is likely going to be worse than receiving the citation. Lessons learned and life goes on.

If it we're me I'd give him at least a one year membership for free.

So as long as one disagrees with a law it's OK to break it?

seems to be - california has been doing it with its offical sanctuary citys for years now

Does the game warden handling this have the carcass of the dead hawk??? Because if he don't and he charges the guy he has no proof in court, other than the supposed "confession"....in which case the guys lawyer will get that thrown out in less time than it took to pull the trigger. Which raises another question...did the guy fess up to the club and they reported it or did the guy fess up to the warden after he was questioned? When it becomes a matter of law saying someone killed a hawk, even having someone say he killed a hawk and proving it actually happened beyond a reasonable doubt are entirely different things. We can talk about robbing a bank all we want, but a cop hearing it cant arrest us for robbery.
I wont discuss my thoughts about killing birds of prey, they don't matter, but I have to wonder why the club don't allow hunting of "game animals" on the property, but loses their mind when a hawk {killer of game animals} gets terminated???? No hunting??? I mean, what did the club think the hawk was doing there? Having a picnic with McDonald's food??? I understand that a club, and rightfully so, would not want to be associated with illegal activity. Still, it all boils down to what happened to the dead hawk??? No hawk carcass, more than likely no charges. The guy is stupid enough {probably didn't believe his own club members would turn him in} to tell on himself, I'd bet he's not nearly so stupid when it comes to paying that fine. Make no mistake about one thing, in this country laws are written heavily in favor of criminals.

Do you turn your buddy for driving home every time you have a beer or 3 with him. Do you turn yourself in every time you creep above the speed limit. Just because a group of politicians made a law does mean its really a crime in natures eyes. This thread is ridiculous. I think the guy having a coronary over a guy shooting a hawk has bigger issues than the guy that shot the hawk! Who cares! Im worried about myself, my family and my own life etc. I am not a do gooder problem causing tattle tail.

This thread started about a dead hawk and has evolved to beating a dead horse...

No, beating a dead hawk.

I've never shot one, but my shotgun has been enticed to swing many times. It's an Improved Cylinder or I might have stopped thinking about it

Ok, this country is so bass acwards, it is legal to kill a baby in the womb, but a crime to shoot a hawk. How screwed up is this?