Wyoming is tough on poachers
Mule Deer
Two Wis men traveled to WY this past Oct no tags were drawn they convinced the landowner to buy tags . They killed 3 bucks and then tried to ship back to Wis , A concerned WY resident called FG about the shady shipment . In May they were found guilty and have to pay fines of 22,000 and lost hunting rights till 2018.
WY consistently has some of the toughest sentencing for poaching violations of ANY state in the west. Kudos to them.
Good for Wyoming and the "concerned resident."
Wish there was some kind of poaching site to post this on.
Thanks for sending it.
those cheeseheads aren't very bright.
WY is one of the few states that understand how important there wildlife is to the whole state!
They should've taken there hunting rights away for life!
Good. D-bags. They shouldn't be able to hunt for longer.
i think they got a good lesson
yikes not hunting until 2018 is a good lesson if they have coin they i guess they can go to Canada or Africa .Mexico
Schneeberger and Kafka. That's poetic. One of the guy's names is metonymic for alienation and the existentialistic crisis. His trip through the legal system could only be Kafkaesque.
I like the fine part of it but I honestly wonder if the loss of being able to hunt till 2018 is really much of a punishment. They didn't buy tags to begin with someone else bought the tags.
Exactly what Fulldraw said. Revoking hunting priveleges means nothing to a poacher. It's like gun control to criminals. They don't care!
I agree. Hammer em. Would rather have five minutes alone with one of these poachers than an anti. Any day
I guess I'm on the opposite side than most of y'all . I think the loss of hunting rights is ok but I find the fine a little steep. Not sure three deer are worth 22,000$. I certainly don't think loss of hunting rights for life is in order, as some suggested. All this is assuming they are first time offenders. If these guys have a long list of previous convictions then I might be swayed.
"Schneeberger and Kafka. That's poetic. One of the guy's names is metonymic for alienation and the existentialistic crisis. His trip through the legal system could only be Kafkaesque."
While his partner-in-crime's name is just plain silly and obnoxious. A suitable sidekick for Kafka. I imagine Schneeberger the tall lanky one and Kafka the short fat one.
22 G's?....people have got off with a lot less for killing a fellow human. Why is a deer worth more than a human?
All because they got residents to buy the tags ... so to save a few hundred bucks, they risked this.
Whether it's proportionate to the crime or not, it's only a deterrent if it's publicized.
"Why is a deer worth more than a human?"
It's not, but shows how broken our legal system is when killing another human is concerned. That means I think the poaching fine is a good start!
Did the farmer who bought the tags receive a penalty?
First of all if you kill a human and are found guilty you are put in jail for an average of 20 - those years are worth much more than $22k. So that argument is ridiculous.
This is about reimbursement and punishment for crime. You aren't going to throw these guys in jail for 20 years.
Second, these guys KNOWINGLY broke the law. This wasn't a case of not tagging or shooting a buck too small.
These guys got what they deserved and anyone who does this knowingly should be made an example of.
Wish we had a link to the whole story
Glad to see Wyoming getting some teeth to deal with this stuff
When we outfitted there in the 90s the enforcement for poachers was really bad. We stopped calling the game wardens and dealt with poachers internally
I wonder if part of that fine was federal. Maybe intent with regard to the Lacy act, by trying to ship out of state
People have gotten off for a lot less for killing a human?
Only in the movies.
I'm in favor of castration.
I agree that the loss of their hunting license's until 2018 isn't long enough. Should have been for life but hey, Wyoming needs the money. But everyone is forgetting the reciprocal agreements with other states where they won't be able to purchase hunting license's.
If Wisconsin is part of the "compact" system for these suspensions, then they will not be able to hunt or buy a license in any of the states that are part of that system. at Present, there are about 36 states that are part of that system. If you are suspended in one state then you are suspended in all of them.
There are actually 44 states in compact system.
If u remove there hunting rights for life ll you would be doing is saving them some coin ! Hope they learned there lesson . They can hunt Canada Africa mexico till 2018
Not all poaching cases are stiff penalties. Take a look at this link where a rich Casper guy hired a lawyer and pretty much got off with a slap on the wrist and 1 year probation from hunting.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID35/3558.html#.VXLvSs9Viko
Very nice. Good to see poachers getting what they deserve...
Keith--I was wondering the same thing about the landowners and I found the answer to your question.
"Chuck and Debra Belus, the ranch owners who transferred the licenses to the Wisconsin men, pleaded guilty in Sheridan County Circuit Court to illegal transfers. In total, the couple was ordered in December to pay approximately $400 in fines. The couple’s hunting privileges were also suspended for three years. Their ranch is located in southern Sheridan County."
NRs.... must not have known anybody...... =D
Deal seems about right to me. I'd bet a good chunk of that fine was eaten up by labor and legal costs to the state.
In all honesty, I'm curious what it would have been if they were locals that got caught. THAT will tell how tough they are on poaching. Easy to hammer a NR.
Most places are notorious for softer enforcement when it's somebody that lives there. In many cases the title could be "(fill in the blank) is tough on NR poachers." I know my state is pretty "flexible". We've had DLNR folks themselves caught using elec. probes for fishing.... hands were slapped, that's all.
Here's a link to the story!
They asked landowners to buy tags for them, then shot trophy quality mule deer and had them mounted. There was a concerned citizen that caught wind of what went on a called in.
This was a justified fine for trophy quality bucks. This sort of thing rarely gets stopped. Glad the poachers got nabbed.
the utube moron showed him spooking more elk than i've seen in my life. ran them through barbed wire fences too. $1500 fine loss of hunting for one year, and the creep wash't even apologetic, guess if you're a rich local you get the breaks,
Jims he was only charged with wildlife harassment i think .. This is what happens with all this facebook twitter utube ,the look at me crowd. I have read some locals get stiff fines .
I really don't know why the local ranchers got off so easy. the poachers didn't drive out and start knocking on doors until they found someone willing to help. This was arranged before the men ever left Wisconsin. Seems to me like just another state that is bending the NR over while cutting the locals slack.
Believe me, I think they were both due fines. I just think the landowners got off pretty easy in comparison. No surprise really. God Bless
I liked the castration idea...
When did Spook Spann and Ter Nugent move to Wisconsin
i have turned in plenty of poachers, most went ahead and paid the fines. one took it to court and i testified. he was convicted, but then had the verdict thrown out and the state declined to prosecute a second time. that guy is still breaking the law every time he goes out. but, it cost him a lot of money to fight it. it also was not his first conviction for a wildlife crime.
stick it to them. all of them, residents or not.
Everyone of us on this site takes pride in doing things the right way! He'll even go as far as the primitive way. Why should they have any special rights? Throw the book at em as far as I'm concerned. That's not a hunter and its d bags like them that get peta and other like minded groups in an uproar
They were probably Seahawks fans too...
