The real Toby Bridges

[sheriffjohn]

Unless it's a felony or a judge decides to do so, most misdemeanor offenders don't face extradition from one state to another. Today, with the "no cash bond" thing going around, scofflaws have it made. Back in the day, Missouri's only wildlife felony was "Dynamiting" fish.

 

[CatamountRob]

He isn’t going to be extradited but he’s not going to be able to get a license for awhile and probably has to answer to the rest of the charges before he’d be eligible for one again.
That said, a guy that illegally baits, kills deer on others licenses and kills elk out of season doesn’t really need a license…

 

[michiganmuzzy]

He will definitely use his fame to get access to private property. Many people still think he's the greatest.

 

[JIMYJAC]

When it comes down to it your name and character means something. He has to carry this around.

 

[ILoveMuzzleloading]

Sad to see yet another criminal in the muzzleloading community.

 

[SW]

Toby Bridges has been a major player in MLing from the 1970s. He may have been the 1st to use scopes on traditionally designed Hawken rifles (T/C) . He pushed for inclusion of scopes from the early 80s. Toby has been a true pioneer in the evolution of modern MLing. He was a major player in where we are in smokeless MLing. His books are excellently done.

He is an excellent writer and had a significant effect on the “progression” or advancement of MLing as we know it. He gave name recognition to Henry Ball’s design into the Savage 10 ML -> 10 ML2. The Savage/Toby relationship ended badly as did many other/Toby relationships ended badly.

Character is very important as well as remorse for moral failings. Both seem lacking this situation. Toby needs our prayers.

 

[gmstack]

I met Toby Bridges a number of years ago . He and i discussed Knight Muzzleloaders and i found him to be very down to earth good fellow. I dont know the full story but I agree with SW Toby needs our prayers. We all make mistakes and everyone of us can look back and wish we had done something differently .

 

[Dave951]

After reading the article he put in our association publication, Skirmish Line, several things are apparent. First, he's a self promoting jerk. Second, his knowledge of the Civil War and military history is very sparse. Third, he made a disparaging comment as relates to the N-SSA course of fire, to whit, if one were to read his comment, you'd think we shoot at human form targets. We don't and that is expressly forbidden in our rules. We do shoot at 100yd at a 6in square tile. If you think it's easy, hang one on a wire at 100yd, shoot at it offhand with iron sights and you have 35 seconds per shot and that includes loading. Fourth, his assertions concerning ballistics show he's a complete ignoramus about physics.

I will not knowingly do anything to support that guy.

 

[southdakbearfan]

Seems like a certified piece of crap poacher. Illegal baiting on 2 bear, cow elk out of season, deer on someone else’s license after he already shot a buck. Plead guilty on 8 of 10 charges, skipped the state on the other 2 and the fines. If you do all that, you did it on purpose and are not a hunter or sportsman.

Any business/brand associated with him after all that deserves no business, especially with the lack of remorse.

 

[Squint]

There is BIG money in prostituting our natural resources and anytime money is involved you can and will see this type of behavior. I have first hand info on a couple of these types that are well published in national magazines, books, youtube, that poach/violate on a regular basis. I have dropped a dime on one of them, but unfortunately he didn't get caught. Now I'm not saying that all the pimps are violating and there are some very good shows/publications out there, but no kill shots, dead game/fish make for boring reading/viewing. Some of these types will do whatever it takes to get the "shot", as in camera.

Have a friend who lives on a little place on the river and he set it up as a archery hunting only for one of these places that make videos for hunting shows. He only did it for probably 10 years and couldn't take it any longer. They would set up in the tree stand film everything, maybe shoot more than one buck, and if they got the deer they would climb down and spend an hour or so posing with the deer laughing and high-fiving it with the deer looking plum natural and not gutted. This would be in September in Montana and could be very warm. By the time they got done the deer wasn't edible, so they gave it to the rancher to chop up feed to his dogs, they just wanted to head. Then they would take this first film back inside their fancy camper and dub in all that speech at you hear about things like they were actually talking in a loud stage whisper about ,look how big he is and how close he is, an all of this fake chatter. That is not done during the actual hunt. Because you notice you never see the camera on them or see their lips move while the deer is coming in. They treated my friend well, gave him binocular, guns, scopes and were more than willing to pay but he could only take it so long. This all ended probably 10 years ago.
Squint

 

[ENCORE50A]

NAMLHUNT-To-Retire - NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING

 

[Squint]

NAMLHUNT-To-Retire - NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING

I actually had never heard of Toby until I saw in the Montana paper that he had been charged with illegal hunting. I don't read many hunting magazines, enjoy gun magazines more so, and not somebody else's experiences. That article that you list is a good article, I'm quite a bit older than he is, but I still hunt, with a muzzleloader. Montana is a good place to poach, if that's what you want to do. I don't know if he's guilty or not but there's darn few game wardens for the amount of ground to be covered. I teach hunter safety, so of course we preach that game law violators are thieves. I don't know what all went on here, and a lot of us when we were young, were a little liberal with following game laws, but all the ones I knew straightened up and flew straight before many years had passed.
Squint

 

[ILoveMuzzleloading]

NAMLHUNT-To-Retire - NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING

Can’t believe anyone would want to buy the site. It’d be like buying Chernobyl to build apartments.

 

[fishdfly]

Agree.

 

[southdakbearfan]

NAMLHUNT-To-Retire - NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING

If you read the page, he is basically blaming the pandemic for his poaching.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

If you read the page, he is basically blaming the pandemic for his poaching.

So, not taking responsibility for his actions?

 

[user 25154]

Hello, just read the above link. Am I understanding this correctly? Toby believes the United nations developed the covid virus to reduce the world's population? And after his long career as a author and writer in the outdoor industry he is starving if he doesn't poach? Before I make any decisions I just want to be sure I'm understanding this right. Anyone else get that out of it?

 

[CatamountRob]

Yup, that’s what it says.

 

[CatamountRob]

He must have been pretty hungry to eat 3 bears, a cow elk and I’m not even sure how many deer.

 

[user 25154]

Oh my! OK. I thought I had it right but wanted to be sure. Geez, well I think I'll pray for him also. Not because I believe him. On the contrary he obviously needs God's forgiveness and help. As we all do. In my experience if we just recognize what we've done and and ask. We get what we need. However that my not be what we want.