Thrills and skills: A sociological analysis of poaching

The focus of this research is to both describe and explain the activities of poachers. This research is based on interviews with 36 poachers. The authors explored the reasons given by some of these men for engaging in this deviant activity. Extensive quotations from interviews with poachers are presented. Primary motivation for this subgroup seems to be the pleasure derived from both the excitement of poaching and the outsmarting of game wardens through the demonstration of superior knowledge of the terrain and hunting skills. The specific intent of the article is to show how Walter Miller's (1958) six focal concerns (i.e., trouble, excitement, smartness, toughness, fate, and autonomy) of urban, lower‐class culture parallel the value system of the poachers in this research. Socialization as a generating mechanism for deviance is discussed for further understanding of these crimes.