Moravia man pleads guilty to poaching trophy whitetail deer : News : HeartlandConnection.com Personally, I think he got off easy.
Loss of his gun, hunting privs and a $20,000 fine is getting off easy? Wow. I would say he is paying a pretty fair price for the crime.
Sounds like it wasn't his first brush with the law. I feel sorry for someone who could have taken that buck legally and had it taken from him.
$20,000 in liquidated damages, according to what I have read is only levied against him IF he fails to meet the other conditions of his conviction.
Still that is getting off easy. I obey the laws and hunt accordingly. Someone who puts themselves above the law on more than one occasion has shown he cannot operate within the laws. Had it been $20,000 fine, loss of hunting privileges for life and being defined as a convicted felon so he can no longer own firearms, I would agree that was fair penalty.
i know some people that mixed up archery and firearm tags and let's just say the deer they killed was worth a lot of money by the end of that ordeal. the only reason they even got to keep the deer was because it was a sunday and the game wardens didn't want to mess with it
Yeah, but this guy shot a buck with a .270 (illegal) from his minivan (also illegal) and had previous run ins with the game wardens. It is not a mix up, but total disregard for the law.
You guys sure put a lot of value on an animal. I didn't read the link, but I sure don't see putting a man who kills a deer in the same boat as somebody who rapes/murders. Ie the felony comment. Team Red Sun Rising
I know Jerry personally, and yes he did deserve it. The guy was a frequent poacher. But 20k ? That is a little much I think. Also, although he made terrible choices with hunting, he is a good person. He's the type of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, if you needed it. He owns a Masonry business, and I know he done all kinds of free work for a guy with cancer here local, as well as a couple of elderly people. So, just because he made two major hunting errors, doesn't mean he is the devil. Some of you people think that if somebody poaches a deer, then they are murderers and the worst people who exist. I agree 100% he should hunt legally and what he did was wrong, but I find it funny that the DNR say they own the wildlife, until we hit one with a car, or until a person swerves to miss a deer and goes off the road, wrecks, and dies. I don't see them paying up then? Deer cause a lot of problems, although they should be hunted legally.
So what is the penalty? Isn't is something like 80 hours of community service? He should lose his hunting license for several years regardless of whether he meets the obligation of his conviction. A buddy of mine was legally bowhunting that deer near Moravia when it was poached and I will never forget his frustration when it was poached. Terrible..
I agree 100%. When you put things into perspective on what people are fined for "real" crimes it's more than sufficient IMO.
I think he got off fairly easy $390 fine, loss of gun and hunting privliges. Especially if the $20,000 fine will only be levied if he does not complete the other parts of his sentance. This poaching SOB needs the book and the kitchen sink thrown at him.
