$80,000 deer fine

[JABIII]

Man Pleads Guilty in Deer-Trapping Case

AUSTIN, Texas — A six-month long investigation conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Special Operations Wildlife Crimes Unit came to a close during the last few days with Larry Grimland of the Dallas area being charged with 20 counts of illegally trapping wild whitetail deer from his Bosque County ranch.

Grimland was apprehended by TPWD Investigators Sgts. Adam Chrane and Brad Chappell for illegally delivering and selling three whitetail deer in Bosque County. The next morning a search warrant was executed on Grimland’s ranch where records were seized indicating Grimland had sold numerous wild whitetail deer for the last several years, netting thousands of dollars.

In a plea agreement reached, Grimland has agreed to cooperate with investigators, pay $40,000 in fines and make a $40,000 contribution to the Operation Game Thief fund. An additional 45 charges have been filed against 10 individuals that purchased illegal deer from Grimland.

In a spinoff investigation, Bosque County resident David Deeley agreed to pay $10,000 in fines and make a $6,000 contribution to Operation Game Thief fund. Deeley was charged with five counts of illegally trapping wild whitetail deer. Bryan Hanus, a Bosque County deer hauler, was arrested on felony arrest warrants for “felon in possession of a firearm, and tampering with physical evidence,” both 3rd degree felonies. Hanus was placed in the Bosque County jail with bonds set at $10,000 per charge.

The scope of this investigation revealed illegal whitetail deer commerce over a significant portion of Texas and demonstrated the importance of having a centralized investigative group such as TPWD’s Special Operations Unit. The unit received invaluable assistance from game wardens throughout the state in conducting interviews and taking statements.

Bosque County Attorney David Christian prosecuted the cases and Game Wardens Preston Spiller and Mike Sibila provided the initial lead.

Col. Pete Flores said, “This investigation serves as a deterrent to those who engage in the illegal commerce of Texas’ wildlife resources. This case also safeguards the legitimate interests of deer managers and conservation in Texas.”

[JABIII]

Dang Musk Ox poachers...

Seven men charged in big-game poaching
SOUTHWEST ALASKA: Most were accused of illegally shooting musk oxen.

By DAN JOLING
The Associated Press

Published: May 11th, 2005
Last Modified: May 11th, 2005 at 07:04 AM


Seven men are charged in the illegal shooting or possession of musk oxen or moose in Southwest Alaska.


Alaska State Troopers said five men from Hooper Bay and one from Chevak were charged with killing musk oxen. Another Hooper Bay man was charged with possession of game meat he knew was illegally taken.

"They were not responsible for all the musk oxen that were taken," said troopers Sgt. Matt Dobson at the Bethel post. Troopers have conducted interviews and are waiting for results from the state crime lab before issuing additional citations, he said.

The charges stem from an investigation in April that showed that as many as 12 musk oxen and one moose were killed illegally about 50 miles northwest of Bethel in an area commonly known as the Mud Volcanoes, a cluster of extinct volcanoes and cinder cones.

Troopers said the initial complaints were received through a Wildlife Safeguard report about the time that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pilots from Bethel found several kills.

The men will be arraigned in the Chevak District Court.

Norman G. Joe, 51, of Chevak was charged with one count of taking a musk ox during a closed season and one count of unlawful possession and transportation of illegally taken game.

Albert R. Simon, 34, Ephrem J. Smith, 27, and Paul F. Prince, 23, all of Hooper Bay, were charged with shooting musk oxen during a closed season, possessing and transporting illegally taken game, and using a small-caliber rifle, a .22, to shoot big game. Simon and Prince also were charged with shooting an out-of-season moose.

George J. Nanok, 51, of Hooper Bay was charged with shooting two musk oxen on separate dates, unlawful possession and transportation, and using a small-caliber rifle.

Patrick A. Hale, 38, of Hooper Bay was charged with one count of killing a musk ox and unlawful possession and transportation.

Julius Bell, 29, of Hooper Bay was charged with possessing game meat that he knew was illegally taken.

Roger Seavoy of Bethel, who manages hunting in the region for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said last month that the poached musk oxen were a splinter group from Nelson Island.

Local residents had hoped the mainland musk oxen would flourish and support a legal hunt, Seavoy said.

When Seavoy flew over the area last summer, he counted 29 animals, including seven calves. Seavoy said the poaching probably will delay growth in the herd that could have resulted in a legal hunt.

Hooper Bay is a community of more than 1,100 people on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta about 530 miles east of Anchorage. Chevak, with about 900 residents, is on the north bank of the Niglikfak River 17 miles east of Hooper Bay.

[JABIII]

$5,000 swans...

Ignorance no excuse in case of trumpeter swan killings
Inexperienced hunters should have held their fire.

MT. VERNON, Mo.-Five young hunters are unlikely to forget their Jan. 8 goose hunt at Robert E. Talbot Conservation Area. Neither are students in hunter education classes who hear them describe how they killed three federally protected birds and the price they paid for shooting in haste.

The five, all from Rogersville, were hunting in a secluded area near Spring River on the 4,000-acre conservation area when three large, white birds flew in to land. The hunters opened fire, killing two birds and fatally wounding the third.

Another group of hunters witnessed the incident and used a cell phone to call law enforcement officials. They knew the birds were not snow geese but much larger and rarer trumpeter swans.

When Lawrence County Conservation Agent Don Ruzicka arrived at the area, he found the swan killers still hunting. He said they were friendly and cooperative when he asked to see their game. When asked what they had shot, they replied that they had bagged three snow geese.

"The hunters clearly did not know what they had done," said Ruzicka. "It was doubly unfortunate. The swans died, and these five young men learned a very expensive lesson."

All five were charged with illegally taking wildlife and pleaded guilty in Lawrence County Associate Circuit Court. Judge Larry Meyer levied fines, restitution and court costs totaling $5,487.50. He also ordered 180-day suspended jail sentences on two years' probation. Finally, he ordered them to speak to a hunter education class about the hazards of failing to identify game before shooting.

"Hunters have sole responsibility for knowing hunting regulations and being able to identify game animals," said Ruzicka. "You have to be able to identify your target to know if it is legal. If you can't, the only right choice is to not shoot."

Snow geese are so abundant that federal wildlife officials have liberalized hunting regulations to encourage extra harvest. In contrast, trumpeter swans were classified as federally endangered until a few years ago. Missouri has no hunting season for swans.

The trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the largest native waterfowl species in North America, with an adult wingspan of up to eight feet. The population of trumpeter swans in North America increased from a low point of fewer than 4,000 birds in 1968 to nearly 24,000 birds in 2000.

According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent who assisted with the case, the three swans killed by the Missouri hunters had leg bands identifying them as part of the Minnesota Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project at the Wolf Lake Waterfowl Production Area in Cottonwood, Minn.

[WetDawg]

For 5 grand I hope they got to keep the leg bands?