The game of poaching: Folk crimes in southwest Louisiana

This article examines the meaning and purpose of poaching from the perspectives of poachers and game wardens. Our technique was to let the responses speak for themselves, presenting the convergence of poacher and game warden in the real world, and then to offer both summarization and interpretation. This research uses data from interviews with 41 poachers and 32 game wardens. Its focus is to both describe and explain the activities of poachers. We describe the rationalizations and motivations of poachers for continuing their illegal activity. The research also considers the responses of game wardens to poachers and their activities. The article also looks at the consequences of rapid social change from the perspectives of individuals caught in that change.