MACHIAS, Maine — If you’re going to poach North Atlantic salmon, it’s probably wise not to boast about it on Facebook.
The Maine Warden Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are jointly investigating a report that an oversize salmon was illegally taken by an ice fisherman on Second Hadley Lake in rural Washington County within the past few weeks.
The fish in question measured more than 25 inches in length, which under state and federal restrictions is too large to keep, said Maine Warden Service Lt. Dan Scott.
Scott said the angler under investigation, whom he declined to identify before charges are filed, was identified through a tip from what he termed “a concerned sportsman.” Scott wouldn’t say if a Facebook posting helped to incriminate the suspect, which is what an independent source told the Bangor Daily News.
“We do use Internet-type postings, like email and Facebook, in gathering information during our investigations,” Scott said. “Whether that happened in this case I’m not at liberty to discuss as this remains under investigation, but it’s not uncommon that we use social media sources.”
Scott said both state and federal charges could be filed in the case. “We haven’t yet decided where this is going from here,” he said.
“People need to be reminded that the maximum length limit for salmon and brown trout is 25 inches,” Scott said.
Salmon-chanted evening……
Very nice, indeed. lol
You should hear the version by Salmon Dave (groan)
Oh stop! You’re killing me. Can’t stop laughing.
you will meet a ranger…
Bravo! Brilliant line.
Bravo! Thanks for a good laugh.
Someone may be laughing
You may hear them laughing
If you’re in the mood for a few dozen more “fish” puns…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEZG14eGmR8
Across a crowded courtroom
….
Big sis is watching…and Atlantic salmon? Ice fishing? too bad the author (Tom Walsh) doesn’t know the difference between an Atlantic salmon and a landlocked salmon….oh well, he’s a modern journalist…what should we expect…rality is a bit hard to grasp for these folks.
Don’t rib him too bad, they are both Atlantic salmon. Same speices, one is land locked.
In Rality….lol
Second Hadley Lake is not even almost landlocked, Einstein. Look at your map. Those little blue lines are rivers, and the great big blue area is the ocean.
Do some research first….Atlantic Salmon have been caught as far up the river as Crawford Lake…
sea run salmon can be found in the same waters as landlocks if there is passage to the ocean. Hence the length limit on salmon on specific waters. If it looked like a different fish, which I would assume they “thought” it was a brown as some have said, even then it wouldn’t look quite right for that species, so they should of checked the vomerine, as well as had some inkling of types of fish in the water they are fishing. because in some cases it’s be highly unlikely to find a brown in that region as they are only in a handful of lakes.
Did they find the fish something sounds fishy to me about it. We Know all fisher man brag about how big thier fish is . I guess its a guy thing. Most men who brag about how big it is are not telling the truth. So If they can not find the fish i do not believe they have a case. Even a picture is no prof.
nope you cannot convict without a body…. but i wont tell you how big mine is… because i’m a guy and i’ll lie.
I will just say this about that . Its a good thing most woman do not know how to measure lol
They are genetically identical.
Was the fish nude? Was this salmon able to remove himself from facebook before the whole “school” saw the picture?
Maybe the salmon lied about his height too.
Every once in a while we hear about the crook that drops his wallet at the crime scene and flees. Then there is the guy that throws his trash bags on the roadside with his address inside. There’s just no help for these folks.
Presented as a Public Service Announcement
Maine Operation Game Thief
Rewards of up to $1,000, based on severity, are paid for information that leads to
the arrest or summons being issued for a fish or wildlife violation.
Telephone:
1-800-253-7887 (1-800-ALERT-US)
Online:
http://www.maineogt.org/
Simply fill out our Tip Reporting Form
Your call or report remain totally anonymous, if you wish, and you will not be asked
to testify in court.
Be a Sport. Report.
That is not ture. the defense can get a court order to listen to the tape and if they know who it is or the suspect can listen to it and recognize the voice, THEN the defense can supena (spelling) the person to be in court. Stop misrepresenting what will happen
Better question is, Was he really that big?
Must have been. smelled like several different kinds of fish.
Just as I stated pictures can and are edited.
Is a fisherman’s lies on Facebook good evidence ?
Thanks. (still chuckling)
Oh that is simply excellent….thumbs up……ROFLMAO
so this is what are tax dollars are paying for this week, someone “investigating” whether or not someone did or did not catch a fish and brag about it? One if this did happen dont post on face book, it is way to public, and two only brag if it is the right size. lol
Wonder if you worry about your tax dollars when they’re searching for someone who’s lost. Diving in icy waters to find evidence or a body. Hopefully they won’t have to do that this week.
IFnW isn’t funded by taxes, it is primarily funded by license sales.
I’m so sick of the “…our tax dollars…” It’s right up there with “…it’s all about the kids…”
Throw the book, back on the street, mensa member, pillar of the community, darwin award…any more?
I smell some de-friending going on.
Don’t the police need a warrant or court order to spy on Facebook posts? Just wondering….
Its a police state . No warrant needed if your a suspect .
not if you click ‘public’ in the privacy settings….whats public is for the world to see
Nope, it is a public forum, esp if you do not have restricted settings.
The wardens (or cops) weren’t spying on FB. This was a case of everyone talking about it, mentioning that there was a pic on FB and it went from there. FYI: Police departments all over the nation troll FB looking for illegal info……only on those profiles that are “public”. I believe this young man has a “private” setting, therefore only HIS friends can see his profile.
I bet he does now…
It was a “friend” that reported it..
Yeah…”friend”……..This “friend” is not on his friends list. Like I said before, everyone is talking about it, some people around, knew the pic was on FB…..this “friend” is not lily white either…….
happens all the time. This “friend” just wanted the heat to be going in another direction.
Operation Game Thief, it says they had a tip, and if it’s on the internet it’s not private, I don’t care what you have for privacy settings if someone can see it someone else can, whether it is shown to them or not.
My banking information is subject to public scrutiny? Ohh my! No more Amazon or E-mail for me!
How many companies have had private information hacked, it may be private in the sense that not everyone can see it, but once it’s out there, there is potential for it to be taken and viewed by others not intended to see it.
It is far easier to go to your mailbox for information than to hack, I would assume.
That is a risk, but luckily enough for us, criminals that want that information want the most bang for their buck so they go through the trouble of finding a mass of the info in one place. I try to take all my mail that has personal information that is sensitive on it to the post office box.
Can’t argue, but maybe we can share a laugh. You said, ” but luckily enough for us criminals “, caught my eye. Without proper punctuation, and taken out of context, things can be amusing.
Dang I need to go back to school.
LOL That caught my eye, too. I had to re-read it! lol
Are you serious with that comment? “Judge I’d like to get a warrant to look at the internet”
E-mail is internet, and they need a warrant for that.
Are you serious? So I guess you think billboards are the same a personal letters too?
So there is no warrant needed for an e-mail to stand, in a trial, in a court of law? Really. Neat. Bow my pretty…..
You again missed the point. Anyone can simply look at Facebook, email is not hanging out there in public, it’s private. So yes a warrant would be needed to look at someone’s private email, but not for something that is open to the entire world like a billboard.
I, dear sir, believe you have found the point. If, what has been stated in this public forum is true, he has a private profile. Only through a fink was he had. Probable cause? Maybe. But not all that you submit to the internet is public.
Nice day, today. Hope tomorrow the fishing is good.
Are you familiar with Facebook? Others FB users that are not your friends can only see what you make public.
If a “concerned sportsman” reported him and the cops looked they would only see his FB photo to use evidence because he’s make it public. This is different than pulling someone over in their car and looking into the back seat, for that they would need probable cause. If parked along the sidewalk a cop could glance into your backseat and see something illegal there is no need for probable cause. This is equal to FB.
I’m glad I was able to cause you to do a 180 on your original view point.
Your welcome.
Funny. You continue to miss the point, but you’ll see that the courts support Law Enforcement not needing a warrant to view photos and posts that some chooses to make public. And btw it’s “you’re welcome” not “your welcome”. Cheers
Not if your posts are public
S….T….O….P posting your life on facebook, ESPECIALLY if you are naked or engaged in illegal activity. Duh.
send my pictures back
He didn’t KNOW it was a salmon, and I saw the pic, didn’t look like a salmon to me, or to the other guy fishing with him who had worked on salmon pens before.
Maybe it was a hawk?
What did he think it was?
But I thought Fakebook was all about love and getting along, This guy will now get targeted ads from Joe Borenstein and other lawyers when Fakebook sells his info.
But officer I was on bath salts when I posted the pics….that don’t count does it…
hahahaha…….NOT! He wasn’t on bath salts, drinking, nor does he do drugs…..doesn’t live off welfare, unemployment or SSI. He is a hard working man that made a mistake!
Your sarcasm filter must be down today…
You were expecting a sarcastic remark? Sorry if I dissapointed you. lol :P
As you should be.
hard working “stupid” man…..hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Its not the size of the salmon , its how you use it !
Suppose he sent a picture to Bill Green already?
Check Big Ol’ Fish on Friday, Ch. 2/6. Wouldn’t surprise me.
It’s probably photoshopped.
Mamma always said stupid is as stupid does! Facebook use whilst drinking one too many beers post fishing makes for drunk fish picture posting, and before you know it, Big Brother’s got ya!
That’s real nice of you to just “assume” drinking while fishing and drunk fish picture posting, when that wasn’t the case. These people are dear friends of mine, and it was an HONEST mistake. Like usual, the BDN doesn’t get the WHOLE story before writing the article.
They are friends of mine, also. And you are so very correct that the whole story was NOT reported. The picture was posted on FB because he didn’t know what kind of fish it was and was asking if anyone did. He asked 3 or 4 other people, and they didn’t know, either……and one of the people he asked works with salmon. Believe me, if he had thought what he had done was illegal, he wouldn’t have posted it on FB. He wouldn’t even had taken the fish. Oh, and BTW NorthCarolina, he’s not even a drinking man!!
Sorry, that HONEST mistake doesn’t cut it. Just like when hunting, don’t know your target, don’t shoot. Don’t know what fish you caught, release it. Law books are free, no excuses!
So, you’ve never made a mistake in your life? Maybe not like this, but, you’ve never made one? A stupid mistake, an honest mistake??
I’ve nevermade a mistake in my life. Honest. And I wouldn’t admit it if I had!
WOWWWW!!!!
Hey ocenaviews try decaf, it was a feeble attempt at humor. No harm intended. I guess the coach and FB story earlier in the week just amused me that someone else would post something so obviously illegal , and I thought they might have been intoxicated to do so. So many people post everything in their lives out there on FB for the entire world to see. Social workers, police, employers, spouses and a host of others troll FB to watch what folks are up to. Hey, for most people fish and beer go together. (I don’t drink, but all my fishing buddies do). I have made mistakes also. I am not in the habit of informing the world on FB of my every move.In fact, I do not have a FB account as I consider it a data mining site. ath20 is right though, the time to identify something is at the time of the catch. You have to admit it is not the smartest way to identify a species by putting it on FB. If I ain’t sure, I release it. I fish the Miramichi in New Brunswick for salmon every year. I am a member of the Miramichi Headwaters Headwaters Association and stay informed of what to catch and what I can’t, where I can fish, and what bait to use. I also fish in New Zealand for trout, and again stay familiar with what I can keep and what I can’t etc. It helps I fish with my father in law who lives there.I also trout fish in Virginia, West Virginia and here in North Carolina mostly catch and release fly fishing. I meant no slant towards your friends, or their character, I do question their judgement. I am sure they are wonderful people and I hope they do not get in much trouble, if any. If you and middlemarch say they are good people, I am sure they are and meant no intentional harm.
Sometimes a feeble attempt at humor backfires! Not everyone posts their lives out on FB. This young man certainly doesn’t. He simply posted a pic to find out what kind of fish he had and now he may have to serve some consequences for what he did. It will be a learning experience for him.
I hope charges are dropped, and the rat eats cheese.
Now THIS post I LIKE!!! lol I’d like to say more, but I’ll be good!
I don’t drink coffee, at all, but thanks for the suggestion anyways. The article itself just makes it seem like they are insinuated that he was intentionally out there fishing for salmon when that wasn’t the case. His career has him very familiar with aquatic species. I don’t feel it is my place to say what has happened in this case, as it is their story, and an ongoing investigation, but this article doesn’t even remotely come close to the actual story as to what the wardens have said to him. I just wanted to defend them in the meantime..
I guess if I was their friend I would do the same. On the same token, I hope you understand the points I have made based on my observations. Have a good evening.
Were your observations that anyone was drinking? I didn’t get that “observation” at all.
No, my observation is that you cannot accept civil discourse, I tried to be open minded and see your viewpoint and even support your statements about these being good people. It appears that you like to berate a situation where your good people who did stupid things broke the law and got caught by putting it on face book, and you think what they did was ok. You have a need to prove someone wrong, I even gave you that I made a mistake, not good enough. If they were drunk there would at least be a reason.
Well this is the BDN.
REALLY?? There are bigger fish to fry with the drug problem in Washington County than worrying about ONE oversized fish!!
The reason you are not allowed to take the big fish is that they are the ones who produce the eggs to make more fish. One oversized fish means many fewer future fish. That is the main focus of the warden service: preserving our future fisheries.
And this is big crime. Get a grip. they need to focus on real crime like helping the wardens solve the marijuana grow in wesley/crawford where no one was charged and wasted our tax dollars. Instead they should have harvasted it and gave it to the dispensaries for re-sale
Good point! I forgot all about that marijuana grow. Nothing ever did get done about that, did it?
Did we just agree on something?? :)
Yes, yes we did! lol Small miracles……mark the date!! lol And you kinda backed me up on MY post! Thanks!
Maybe the guy caught the fish, took a picture holding it and released it. That is not illegal. Only killing the fish is illegal. Can you tell the fish is dead?
Very good point
Point well taken. Or perhaps the hook was set in a way that would prevent survival if released.
That’s when you clip the line, the hook will degrade and cause minimal harm if you don’t aggravate the fish and the wound. I’ve caught fish that had hooks that were rusting out and they were fine even after i released them.
Be glad we aren’t in a different state, some places you can’t even take the fish out of the hole. The officers will check around your traps for scales.
You just saved this man lawyer fees.
What’s with the smart *ss remarks??
If your not smart enough to understand that i’m on your side, you turn me toward the other side.
Law enforcement just loves Facebook …………………………… especially with some of the dummies that post.
Sort of the opposite of taking the 5th isn’t it!
I am glad to see ONLY two government agencies are investigating.
Endangered species USFW automatically involved, Wardens were told first
sorry, double posting
I guess some fish stories shouldn’t be told.
If the Warden Service and Inland Fisheries can use Facebook for investigating, why can’t DHHS use it?? Mrs. Morse at DHHS says they can’t, I need to speak to Lepage personally I guess!
Facebook was not how the wardens found out. The pic was posted on FB, word went around town about it, and “a concerned sportsman” called wardens.
In the third paragraph from the bottom it states that they do use Facebook and other sites for investigating, I never said they used it for this case.
What will government hacks do next…march into elementary schools to make sure they ‘approve’ of what the kids bring each day for lunch?
Oh, wait…
Really? Warden = Gov’t hacks marching into elementary schools?
he is mentioning a real story that happened in the south. There is alot of news to keep up with, especially with the internet and 24 hour news cycles. google it and see if it makes your blood pressure go up
Perhaps he should post about that other story on a page where the other story is.
Hard to prove especialy if the fish is gone. My answer “Sir I was just kidding. It really wasn’t that big” I photo shoped it”. Big crime in washington county. They do about as much of the Sheriffs office does here in Lubec
Steve McCausland of the Hancock Sherrif told me at one time “99% of all criminals out there are not smart”
I’ll bet only 1% of the folks breaking the law get caught. Just like fish.
Probably. The fellow whom made me the victim was not able to be tried (even tho we knew it was him) as they did not want to use the evidence that was collected.
aahhhhh….I see you fixed it. lol
This did not get posted where it should have……..it was a reply to kired. Oh well.
Salmuel Clemens himself would have enjoyed these comments.
People get nailed on Facebook all the time for crime. It’s funny how everyone thinks the internet is anonymous.
pictures can be edited, have they ever thought of that?!
Yup, let’s bust them for an oversized fish, while Ayla is still missing, and the people responsible are walking around free!!! Go get ’em!
Too Much Time On My Hands.
What a joke! I agree with some of the people posting here. Ayla is still missing. Drugs are being bought, sold and used amongst Maine youth. Health care is a joke. Our schools are at risk. Let’s nail a guy who took a large fish, with very few markings of an actual salmon and fine him to the rafters so the wardens can get new trucks, some fancy new boots and a buck or two to fishing conservation. Let ‘er rip, ‘tater chip.
Some people seem to be misinformed on this article, He went icefishing with 4 other people, 2 of which should have known what kind of fish it was considering they feed salmon for a living, he thought it was a brown trout because of the coloring, but i know that many people told him it was a salmon as soon as they saw it, and he didnt post it on facebook, his wife did, knowing that it was possibly a salmon! He kept the fish and had planned on having it mounted, they came and took the fish from his home, he still had it in his possesion, so it wasnt just a picture, he had the actual fish at his home.
Most of this has already been discussed in these posts. And what does it matter WHO posted the pic? They didn’t KNOW it was a salmon, that’s why it was posted……to see if anyone knew what kind of fish it was. This over and done with. They are just waiting to hear back to see if any charges are going to be filed or if a fine needs to be paid.
people told him it was a salmon as soon as he showed it to them, before it was online
And some people told him it wasn’t! Even people who work on the salmon cages! Like I said before, this is over and done with. Stop listening to the rumors and gossip, then posting it on here! Let it go!
Your the one who has set yourself as the defender of this idiocy, you should heed your own advice.
mmv
I guess he should’ve posted on “plenty of fish” dot com..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sThcwmx3rs : reality reflecting comedy?
Maine wardens will stoop to any low to catch someone! Best not to talk to them. There sneaky, and can not be trusted.
Boy, Mainers are so stupid. Talk about brain dead.
Yep, the good folks from Massachusetts and Connecticut cast out their dumbest, and they all landed here in Maine. So given the ratio between the folks from away, to the real mainers, I could understand that folks that are still from away, may think Mainers are stupid.
I suspect you’re from away?
People sure do love gossip, particularly wardens. I think we have too many wardens, its like a welfare program when this one fish is worthy of so much expense. I hope LePage cuts their budget.
i thought game wardens were supposed to ambush their prey, not stalk them on facebook!!