Dr I was talking to ctop
Dr I was talking to ctop
Disgraced duck hunting guide pays $5,000 fine, will buy ads to apologize
July 21, 2017 at 11:54 AM
William Saiff III is a well-known North Country outdoors guide and outdoors TV personality. (Bill Saiff Outdoors website)
By David Figura dfigura@nyup.com,
NYup.com
Syracuse, N.Y. -- A well-known, North Country outdoors guide and outdoors TV personality was fined $5,000 today in federal court on charges related to him illegally guiding waterfowl hunts over baited ponds for profit - a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
In addition, William Saiff III, 53, of Henderson, he was put on probation, and had all his state hunting or guiding privileges (other than fishing) taken away until Jan. 1, 2019.
The sentence, handed down by United States Magistrate Judge Therese Wiley Dancks and part of a plea bargain and guilty plea by Saiff in late May, including the requirement that Saiff make charitable donations totaling $10,000 to non-profit wildlife organizations of his choice.
Finally, he was instructed to pay for the publishing of half page ads within two weeks apologizing for his actions that will run in the Watertown Daily Times and New York Outdoors News.
Saiff, who was represented by Watertown attorney Matthew Porter, expressed remorse and took full responsibility for his actions, noting that he and the guides who work for him are "ambassadors for the outdoors first, and guides second."
He said he's had extensive discussions with his staff "so this doesn't happen again."
Dancks chastised Saiff, noting that as an ambassador of the outdoors his actions "violated the public trust."
"Conservation regulations are in place for a reason so that future generations can enjoy the outdoors," she said. "It's really disappointing. This can't happen again."
Saiff is a professional hunting guide whose website advertises that for 18 years he "hosted the popular hunting and shooting sports program Cabin Country as seen on Public Television stations across the country." He is owner and operator of Bill Saiff Outdoors and Seaway Waterfowl Professionals.
In his written plea bargain, Saiff admitted that "on Oct. 27, 2015, he guided a hunting party over a baited pond in the Town of Cape Vincent, in Jefferson County. Saiff had previously installed an underwater trough at the pond to hold bait. As part of his guilty plea today Saiff admitted that prior to the hunt he stocked the trough with corn to attract waterfowl to the pond. Investigators found the hidden trough stocked with corn one day prior to the hunt. Before they were approached by investigators who stopped the hunt, Saiff's hunting party shot and killed several protected waterfowl," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
ADVERTISING
inRead invented by Teads
"Saiff also admitted that on October 31, 2015, he guided a hunting party over a baited pond in the Town of Rodman in Jefferson County. Saiff acknowledged that he placed approximately 50 pounds of corn along the shoreline of the pond less than ten days prior to that hunt. Saiff's hunting party killed several protected birds, including geese and ducks, before a law enforcement officer intervened and seized the dead waterfowl," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Before Dancks issued her sentence, Saiff's attorney questioned the travel restrictions imposed as part of his probation. The restrictions limit his travel to the 32-county U.S. Northern District. Porter said that under the sentence, Saiff is still allowed to handle the administrative aspects of his hunting and fishing business, but is banned from participating or being within sight or ear-shot of a hunt.
The attorney noted he often travels to outdoors shows outside of the state to solicit clients for outdoors outings. Danks responded that any outside travel would have to be cleared first by Saiff's probation officer.
Also, Porter asked if the $10,000 donation requirement could be handled by "in-kind" donations to groups seeking or wanting do things like raffle off hunting or fishing trips handled by Saiff's business. Once again, Danks said, she was going to leave that up to Saiff's probation officer.
Immediately after court, Saiff and his attorney visited the court clerk's office and paid the $5,000 fine, plus a $50 court surcharge.
The case was investigated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The two counts which Saiff pleaded guilty to of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act carried a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000, according to U.S. Attorney's Office.
It was prosecuted by Asst. U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry. Perry was not at the sentencing. Sahar Amandolare, another Asst. U.S. Attorney, sat in for him.
Saiff's Fishing Chartersd has been Lake Ontario's largest private charter operation for more than 30 years, according to his Facebook page. He also owns the Westview Lodge in Henderson Harbor, which features a hotel, restaurant and full service bar.
Baiting ducks with corn in every pond, oxbow, lake, etc will not bring more ducks to winter in SC.
Growing and managing their natural food sources on a large scale will.
Look what happened with the birds on the Santee Cooper lakes from 08-2012.
Be proactive about improving public waterfowl habitat in South Carolina. It's not going to happen by itself, and our help is needed. We have the potential to winter thousands of waterfowl on public grounds if we fight for it.
^This. Corn attracts ducks temporarily. It doesn't produce the energy for migration.
867-5309
"Finally, he was instructed to pay for the publishing of half page ads within two weeks apologizing for his actions that will run in the Watertown Daily Times and New York Outdoors News."
Damn, that's creative.
If we poured corn out we would literally change the migration patterns, there would probably not even be a need for a season in Mississippi flyway. Just look at how the corn ponds pull all the ducks off the refuges and public water, there's literally no reason to hunt if you don't have a corn pond right now. This baiting would definitely be the saving grace for sc duck hunting
I'd like to legally hunt over corn.
Last edited by jay12clay; 07-24-2017 at 04:19 PM.
Habitat restoration and finding out how to replenish depleted SAVs would be a better option.
Wait a sec though.....
Yep
We need more carp. Lots more carp. Somebody bring another couple thousand.
The carp will willingly eat it, so corn may not even help
Last edited by WNM; 11-17-2017 at 08:28 AM.
The rich man puts water on his corn, and the poor man puts corn in his water.
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is,
as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson
I wish I could breathe life back in him, if I could I'd hunt him again tomorrow. - Ben Rodgers Lee
www.springallurecustomcalls.com
https://www.facebook.com/springallure.customcalls/
Bookmarks