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Bounty hunting?

billwillbillwill Registered User regular
edited April 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
Anyone tried it? Any advice?

I'm just curious about it, and would like some real world info from people. Tons of hours required? Is the danger exaggerated or what?

Thanks.

P.S. I'm in Las Vegas, Nevada. Supposedly I just have to take a three week course to be qualified, which has piqued my interest. That, and I was installing two batteries for a guy's truck today, and I found out he was a bounty hunter. The way he was describing it made it sound pretty interesting. He also said there is good money in it, which is appealing to me, since I'm a human being living in the United States of America.

I hate you and you hate me.
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Posts

  • RaneadosRaneados police apologist you shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I'd say the danger is actually downplayed

    I mean these people REALLY don't want to be in jail, you showing up to put them in jail = danger

    Raneados on
  • GreasyKidsStuffGreasyKidsStuff MOMMM! ROAST BEEF WANTS TO KISS GIRLS ON THE TITTIES!Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Are you the cloned son of a bounty hunter? Do you have a metal helmet and jetpack? I think that's all you need. GOOD LUCK.

    GreasyKidsStuff on
  • Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club Champion A fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    IANAL, but from what I've heard, the bounty hunting profession is sort of in this nebulous state of legal limbo. The vast majority of applicable laws are based on judicial precedents set in the 1800's, and the rules you have to follow vary across state lines. Some states are more stringent in their requirements and procedures, while others let you do basically anything short of murder to get your bounty.

    It is definitely a dangerous job, and I'd imagine the amount of risk is commensurate to the pay, given higher bail is required for the more dangerous offenders. There's probably a great deal of stress and long hours as well - it's not exactly a 9-5er.

    Inquisitor77 on
  • MidshipmanMidshipman Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Seems like you should get your feet wet in the repo business first if you don't have any prior law enforcement or at least military experience.

    Midshipman on
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  • Angel_of_BaconAngel_of_Bacon Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited April 2010
    A cousin of mine worked as bounty hunter for awhile- from what he said it sounded like the vast bulk of the work was playing phone tag with the fugitive/families of the fugitive, or hauling in meth addicts- people without enough sense to show up to court, or enough sense to actually try to flee from the law in any sort of effective fashion, so they just decide to hole up in their girlfriend's/friend's/cousin's/their own house and hope the whole "fugitive from the law" thing blows over. If you're expecting a game of cat and mouse with some elusive master criminal fugitive testing your detective skills, you'll probably be disappointed.

    Also my cousin was ex-military, and I think that was a big boost to him getting hired/his pay grade. That or ex-police experience would probably be helpful- people experienced with dealing with criminals/armed and dangerous people. While you probably can get a bounty hunting certificate in 3 weeks, I'd guess it probably won't qualify you to do much except the phone-tag part of the job by itself, at most I'd expect a long period of being a non-participating ride-along while other bounty hunters did the actual confronting of the fugitives before you were trusted enough to carry a gun or deal with the criminals yourself.

    Of course I could be wrong (I didn't really talk to my cousin all that extensively about it), and the regulations/situation might be a lot different in Nevada than they are in mid-Michigan, but in any case the actual picking up and handcuffing of fugitives would be something I would consider extremely dangerous with just a 3-week certificate's worth of experience under your belt.

    Angel_of_Bacon on
  • ಠ_ರೃಠ_ರೃ __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2010
    So you want to be a bounty hunter?

    Suppose you find your target, a 6 foot tall inked up weekend gang banger smoking some crack. You're going to haul him in to the police, but instead he pulls out a knife and says "I'll cut ya bitch". It looks like he might suddenly sprint at you at any moment, but so far he hasn't. Do you know what to do?

    ಠ_ರೃ on
  • SeeksSeeks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    That's what the training course is for, duh.

    In all seriousness OP, it probably depends on where you live. I wouldn't do it, because I don't feel like antagonizing the wrong guy as part of my "cool job" and ending up sixteen bullets heavier for it.

    Seeks on
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  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I would imagine that the vast majority of your time would be spent hunting down people who skipped court dates over minor charges, people the cops can't be arsed to deal with themselves so they'll post a thousand bucks for someone to bring them in.

    Robman on
  • RaneadosRaneados police apologist you shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    3 weeks is not enough training to make sure you don't fucking die

    Raneados on
  • November FifthNovember Fifth Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I think that this is one of those things where if you are asking this question on a video game forum you probably aren't cut out for this. The problem is not whether you are bad ass enough to go in and take down a fugitive, it's more about how much experience do you have with people on the fringes of society.

    Have you ever run anything like a landscaping or construction crew where you have to deal with guys who are too methed up to work and had to deal with their girlfriends/wives begging for their jobs or cursing your children? Were you able to deal effectively with these people?

    How many people have you talked to in your life that have actually done time?

    Have you ever been in a real fight as an adult? Have you ever used a weapon on a person or had someone threaten you with a weapon?

    November Fifth on
  • billwillbillwill Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I have no idea where people are getting the idea that I want to go all John Rambo on criminals, or that I somehow think its a bad-ass profession. I hear its good money. I'm curious as to whether anyone has had first person experiences dealing with it. That's all.

    To November Fifth:

    Yeah I've dealt with many druggies, and I think I'm able to deal with them well enough. I worked retail in my old shitty neighborhood, and I've seen some bad things and been jumped a few times.

    I've haven't talked to anyone that has done time. Well, I mean I have, but not specifically about doing time, which I think is what you mean.

    Yes, I've been in a few real fights as an adult. Three to be specific, two as a result of being jumped, and both times I was jumped the other guy had a knife. I fought all three and "won", though my arms were cut up pretty bad and me winning consisted of me being able to hurt him enough until I had enough time to run away.

    During the period of those three fights I was 6'4 and overweight. I was still strong, which I believe is the only reason I escaped, but I didn't necessarily exude confidence which I believe led me to becoming a target. Since then I've worked out, lost 80 pounds, gained back 50 in muscle, and I walk with my head high now and haven't had a problem since. I have not, however, ever used a weapon.

    billwill on
    I hate you and you hate me.
  • RaneadosRaneados police apologist you shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    do you any sort of actual training in fighting (other than "I've been in a few fights and won"), cpr, extensive fitness training, background in investigation, or private detective experience ?

    Raneados on
  • JohnnyCacheJohnnyCache Starting Defense Place at the tableRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    read your actual local statutes about it. Make sure you get vegas county as well as the state of nevada, since Vegas is sort of it's own country.

    In Nevada, IIRC, it's a very cursory license, but does require a short class. The class you will take does NOT cover self defense or anything of that nature, but rather when and how to transfer custody, the legalities of detainment and transportation, that kind of thing. You should also take a class in first aid/cpr/biohazard handling if you can, for your own protection vs hepatitis and HIV

    Bounty hunting is mostly legwork and convincing people it's in their best interest to give up their loved ones to your tender care. The number one line I use to get papers served or people found is "Well, ma'am, I don't mean him any real harm, this is just a civil matter, and I'm private - if I don't show results the matter may be turned over to the sheriff's department for service"

    If you watch something like, say, "dog the bounty hunter" what they show is the 30 minutes of action bullshit that happens to that guy in the course of a week - but mostly the way dog built his reputation before he had the show was as a guy who wouldn't rough you up or steal from you or dime you for other shit when he collected you. Do you have strong contacts in various circles in your area, or are you willing and able to form them quickly? Do you reasonable think you COULD quickly find a fugitive? Do you know where they run to, how to shake one down, who to call to get that guy ratted out to you?


    if so, look for bail bondsmen who are looking for an employee and ask them about work. If the cost of the class isn't too bad and you're not quitting a "real" job to take it, I'd say go for it.

    One thing I've learned from doing a lot of this kind of stuff - repo, collections, process service, etc - is that if you are a contract employee (which you will be a lot of the time) you want to make an s-corp or LLC and effectively hire yourself. It's also nice if you can keep some day job at first for benefits as you will probably start picking this work up over time and not be buried in it.

    Get a wallet full of credential if you're serious - a CDL, a CCW, and a PI's license and your own notary stamp would all be helpful.

    Keep good records of on the job/for the job purchases and mileage/depreciation - if you don't track those things you'll have nothing to offset self employment tax rates which can fuck up an otherwise perfectly decent 1049 ez

    You should find a fight gym, and train there seriously. It sounds like you have the gym bug already, and cardio is half the battle (yo joe). You're looking for a place that works well with and against hand weapons, and some place that covers the three primary ranges - striking, clinching, and grappling. Not a place that jerks off to working with and against weapons. It's hard to impart the difference to someone who doesn't know already, but I would look for a place where few kids train, and watch for what I call "the bullet time fallacy" - if the antidote to say, a boxing jab, or a knife stab, is to do something very very complex, move the place down the list. In musical terms, the defender should match the attacker with the same number or fewer "beats"

    for example is this kali video the demonstrator understands he has roughly the same amount of movement to counter with as his attacker uses, and the technique is demonstrated against an attack you might actually see

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JvEbq-NkT4&feature=related

    compare this aikido video where the instructor takes several beats to his student's single beat to break down and counter the attack

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoeeuXl7RL8

    You want the former quality, not the later, in your training.



    You need to learn A LOT about your local statues re weapon ownership, breaking and entry, etc. Sometimes cops will love you for doing shit that clogs up their system and help you (I've had guys for example, tell me through their door they are gonna call the cops on me for trespassing, at which point I pre-emotively called the cops and they said, "Tell them Officer so-and-so says if we come down to book you there's an awful good chance we'll find some probable cause to search his house") and other times they're going to perceive you as cowboying around their turf and try to fuck with you, so you need to know how long your pocket knife can be, if that mace or baton is really technically legal, what restraints you can get away with using, etc.

    All these logistics aside, however, what you need to decide is how confrontational you are. Are you willing to make your money, often a very mediocre amount of money, by imposing your will on others physically?

    Or are you so adverse to a normal working environment that you're willing to do so?

    And would you rather carry on as you are vs confront the inherent neurosis yes answers to the preceding questions can indicate?

    It's an interesting and sometimes exciting body of work, but it's also a grating body of work that can leave you jaded and get on your nerves. It's often not very heroic - you will sometimes be the bad guy that takes people's provider or loved one out of the home.

    JohnnyCache on
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    A buddy of mine served papers in his time-off (he was a cop) and the main thing I took from his ranting was that people attempted to sue him all the time. Nothing ever stuck, but the person being served would accuse him of everything from trespassing or kicking their dog to having sex with their underaged daughter (that he'd never met.) Mostly it's just dealing with stupid people's BS.

    Darkewolfe on
    What is this I don't even.
  • RUNN1NGMANRUNN1NGMAN Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    A buddy of mine served papers in his time-off (he was a cop) and the main thing I took from his ranting was that people attempted to sue him all the time. Nothing ever stuck, but the person being served would accuse him of everything from trespassing or kicking their dog to having sex with their underaged daughter (that he'd never met.) Mostly it's just dealing with stupid people's BS.

    Process serving seems like one of those jobs that would be perfect for a ballsy college guy. No set hours, fun with disguises, better than average levels of secret-agentness...of course most people will consider you the scum of the earth.

    RUNN1NGMAN on
  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I dated a girl who worked in a legal office. They worked with several process servers. None of them used disguises or any of that bullshit. As always, the reality is much less exciting then the fantasy.

    Robman on
  • JohnnyCacheJohnnyCache Starting Defense Place at the tableRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Robman wrote: »
    I dated a girl who worked in a legal office. They worked with several process servers. None of them used disguises or any of that bullshit. As always, the reality is much less exciting then the fantasy.

    I've never used disguises but I will wear a brown shirt and brown shirt and wearing a hat and carrying a clipboard and I have used a pizza box to get buzzed into a building

    One thing I am NOT cool with in that pineapple express scene is that this guy is taunting the people. I get in, get out, there's no margin in rubbing it in

    JohnnyCache on
  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Look up Krav Maga.


    Just do it.

    Godfather on
  • Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better. Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Honestly, I think you'll be much better off finding a bounty hunter who's already in the field, then trying to start off with little or no experience. I knew this guy who was a bounty hunter on the side and he was always asking if I wanted to help him bring down a guy by being a wheel man or something. I'm always was like
    o_O and told him that I kinda like not being stab by scary people

    Casually Hardcore on
  • JohnnyCacheJohnnyCache Starting Defense Place at the tableRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Godfather wrote: »
    Look up Krav Maga.


    Just do it.

    there is no martial art in the world that has universal quality control and has a name that RIGHTFULLY sells itself. EVERY martial art has an impressive history and description.

    JohnnyCache on
  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Godfather wrote: »
    Look up Krav Maga.


    Just do it.

    there is no martial art in the world that has universal quality control and has a name that RIGHTFULLY sells itself. EVERY martial art has an impressive history and description.

    Wow, way to flip out over nothing buddy.


    Krav Maga is something he should look over, because it is NOT a marial art, it's for bringing down an opponent quickly, efficiently, targets vital areas, is built entirely around real-life encounters and how to disarm knives, guns, baseball bats/bludgening objects in a variety of attack positions.

    This is what he needs to become a bounty hunter. Calm down already.


    EDIT: For God's sake, the more martial arts the better, especially Cali. The guy who trains my instructor is this old man Cali fighter who's legally blind, and that guy is dangerous.

    Godfather on
  • JohnnyCacheJohnnyCache Starting Defense Place at the tableRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Godfather wrote: »
    Godfather wrote: »
    Look up Krav Maga.


    Just do it.

    there is no martial art in the world that has universal quality control and has a name that RIGHTFULLY sells itself. EVERY martial art has an impressive history and description.

    Wow, way to flip out over nothing buddy.


    Krav Maga is something he should look over, because it is NOT a marial art, it's for bringing down an opponent quickly, efficiently, targets vital areas, is built entirely around real-life encounters and how to disarm knives, guns, baseball bats/bludgening objects in a variety of attack positions.

    This is what he needs to become a bounty hunter. Calm down already.


    EDIT: For God's sake, the more martial arts the better, especially Cali. The guy who trains my instructor is this old man Cali fighter who's legally blind, and that guy is dangerous.

    I did not "Flip out" nor do I need to "calm down" - I made a simple statement. To choose a martial arts class, you need to look for a good gym, not a name on a sign. There are good krav maga gyms and there are poor places to train in this martial art. The notion that questioning the martial art you teach made you this defensive this quickly doesn't make your martial art or yourself look better, it makes it look like you have an agenda about your own favorite pet martial art.

    JohnnyCache on
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