Poaching couple fined $60,000.00
Elk
This is just a synopsis of what the article had to say.
Wyoming news out of Lander, WY!
""Kinnear couple pays $60,000 in federal wildlife baiting case.
LANDER — A federal plea deal was reached recently in a Lacey Act case involving wildlife baiting. Michael and Teresa Rinehart, formerly of Kinnear, pled guilty in federal court in late 2021 and agreed to a plea deal for violations of the federal wildlife trafficking law. The couple was ordered to pay $60,000 in restitution to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the value of the illegally-killed wildlife. Both defendants were placed on one year of unsupervised probation and had their hunting privileges suspended worldwide for one year."
In addition to the baiting violations, some clients also took over limits of deer and harvested deer without a license, among other crimes. Following the closure of the federal aspect of the case, the Fremont County Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case and could charge up to 30 clients with various wildlife violations in Wyoming state court.
Scumbags one year is not enough but I see with a plea deal better than nothing thanks for posting Lewis
Those fleabags give all of us ethical hunters and fair-chase enthusiasts a black eye! We should all be pissed, and the fines/penalties should be even higher!
Another article. This ought to get Sito fired up with their “failure piles.” They should lose hunting privileges for life IMO.
Anyone who baits should be fined, there I said it.
Anyone that worries about baiting should be clubbed
There I said it :)
i think someone just got baited!
I'm no baby seal RK, but even a baby seal could hunt its way out of a paper sack
Unsupervised probation and loss of privilege for a ‘whole’ year…LMAO
Baby seals never got away
Game violations unfortunately never had teeth. Except in certain situations. This was not one of them.
Lol. New here so I'll refrain from "baiting deer" topics. (For now)
I did not read the story yet, busy. Will tomarro.
It doesn't matter how you feel about baiting. It is illegal here so they broke the law. I can't believe they only got 1 year of hunting privilages removed. What a joke. Especially since they were selling hunts. Also it is said that some of the hunters took to many deer and took deer on other peoples licenses.
Baiting is greed driven. It doesn't surprise me they had other violations also greed driven.
I can't believe it started in 2011,how long does it take to get evidence.Maybe they should have stepped in earlier and not so many animals would have been taken.Allowing to continue without a lic. could be a problem also I would think.
I remember a guy was caught in Delaware jacklighting deer. They took his brand new 4 wheel drive pickup truck. It had the payment book in the dash. It had 60 payments left. The game wardens got to keep the truck.
I live and hunt where baiting is illegal. I've hunted where baiting is legal, and without it you'd have a mighty slim chance at best. I would call it a good case of 'situational ethics.'
That being said, obey the law. If you want to challenge the law, do so in the courts and legislature, not in the woods.
I prefer hunting where it’s ILLEGAL, for exactly the reason Dana stated. It effectively privatizes a Public resource, an’ dat ain’t right.
60 payments left… I think this couple got off easier!
Title got me fired up and thought more would come out swinging about ideas for poachers. I'll post a different thread to get the ideas flowing!
