Tag: Crime

Man jailed for sabotaging hunter’s tree stand, causing 15-foot fall

A Michigan hunter is serving two months in jail after pleading guilty to sabotaging another hunter’s tree stand, causing the victim to fall more than 15 feet.

A Michigan hunter is serving two months in jail after pleading guilty to sabotaging another hunter’s tree stand, causing the victim to fall more than 15 feet.

Thomas Steele III, 23, of Chelsea, pleaded guilty in Marquette County Court to misdemeanors of aggravated assault and hunter harassment.

Steele was ordered to reimburse the victim’s medical expenses for injuries sustained in the fall, and his hunting privileges were revoked indefinitely throughout most of the U.S.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the harassment began in October 2020 when the hunter arrived at an Upper Peninsula tree stand he had set up and discovered a note on his trail camera.

Close-up view shows a cut strap from the tree stand in Marquette County. Photo: Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The note stated that the spot belonged to Steele.
Steele included his phone number, requesting a call. The hunter called Steele and was warned to stay off the land.

ALSO: Yellowstone wolves faring much better this hunting season

Hunters in Michigan cannot claim rights to public hunting land. Nor can they prevent other hunters for using abandoned tree stands and blinds.

The hunter stayed away for a few weeks, then returned to his tree stand, grabbed the memory card from his trail camera, and began to ascend the tree via climbing sticks.

Footage from a trail camera shows Thomas Steele III, 23, of Chelsea, cutting the straps on a hunter’s tree stand. Photo: Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Nothing seemed amiss, but when he stepped onto the platform it gave way and the hunter plummeted 15-plus feet, injuring his back and ankle.

“Concerned that Steele was watching him on a camera, the hunter quickly limped out of the woods,” the Michigan DNR stated in a news release issued Friday. “Once at home, he called 911 and checked his memory card, which had been wiped clean of images.”

An investigation was launched by DNR Conservation Officer Josh Boudreaux.

Several weeks passed before the hunter again returned to the spot, bringing new straps for his tree stand.

Steel was spying on the hunter with his trail camera, the Michigan DNR explained, and the next day Steele sent threatening text messages.

Boudreaux and Officer John Kamps, meanwhile, kept an eye on the stand. They acquired photographic evidence showing Steele sabotaging the hunter’s tree-stand straps.

“The straps were cut in such a way that they would support the weight of the tree stand but would break as soon as additional weight was applied to them, having a trap door effect,” Boudreaux explained. “The victim would have fallen 15 to 20 feet to the ground.”

Afterward, Boudreaux obtained a search warrant for Steele’s trail camera and arranged a meeting with Steele, whereupon Steele confessed to sabotaging the tree stand and other charges.

Steele was charged in 2021.

Said Dave Shaw, chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division: “Hunter harassment is real and taken very seriously. The DNR hopes that by sharing the details of this case, we can bring awareness to the consequences of this person’s unethical and dangerous behavior and know that it will not be tolerated.”

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Suspect arrested after shooting following Oklahoma HS basketball game

One person was hospitalized after shots were fired following a boys high school basketball game in Oklahoma on Tuesday.

A suspect was arrested on Wednesday in relation to the shooting at an Oklahoma high school basketball arena following a game the night prior, KOCO News 5 reported.

Shots were fired both in the stadium and in the parking lot of the campus of Del City High School (Okla.) around 7:30 p.m. after the boys basketball game against Millwood (Oklahoma City, Okla), according to the outlet. The Oklahoman reported that two Del City on-duty officers and two more off-duty officers were working security at the game, and they evacuated the gym. As they did, more shots were fired in the parking lot.

One person was struck and taken to the hospital. KOCO News 5 reported that the victim was transported to the hospital in a private vehicle and was in stable condition as of Wednesday evening.

The suspect was an 18-year-old, according to the outlet. Police have not yet released the identity of the accused shooter because he has not been formally charged, according to the Oklahoman.

Del City High School officials released a statement:

“After the completion of the boy’s basketball game against Millwood High School, a fight occurred and gunshots were fired inside the field house. The Del City Police Department is onsite and investigating the incident. We have made the decision to shift to a virtual learning day for Wednesday, January 18. We will continue to update our families as more information becomes available.”

According to Fox 25, Millwood Public Schools has instituted a policy for the remainder of the season prohibiting minors not accompanied by an adult from attending any more home games. Millwood has three more home games this season.

Poacher kills first black bear documented at NY wildlife refuge

A hunter has illegally killed what was described as “likely” the first black bear documented at New York’s Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.

A hunter has illegally killed what was “likely” the first black bear documented at New York’s Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.

The hunter was located after Department of Environmental Conservation officers responded to a Nov. 18 report that a K-9 unit had tracked a bear that had been shot earlier in the day.

The K-9 unit had been part of a nighttime spotlighting detail involving officers trying to catch hunters illegally using lights to locate and shoot deer.

ALSO: Watch coyote’s ‘animated response’ after detecting trail camera

The DEC reported that after an investigation, officers interviewed the hunter at his home and he confessed to shooting the bear with a compound bow.

The refuge does not allow bear hunting and the hunter failed to turn in a harvest report that helps the state keep track of legal bear kills.

The man was cited and ordered to appear in federal court on charges related to the illegal harvest of a bear on a national wildlife refuge.

–Image showing officers with the poached bear is courtesy of the DEC

Motorist fined for driving vehicle ‘completely covered in snow’

A Washington State motorist was fined for “negligent driving” Sunday after being pulled over with most of the vehicle’s windshield covered in snow.

A Washington State motorist was fined for “negligent driving” Sunday after being pulled over in Kitsap County with most of the vehicle’s windshield covered in snow.

A photo was tweeted by Katherine Weatherwax of the Washington State Patrol, showing only the tiniest clearing in the top left portion of windshield.  A thick snow blanket covers the rest of the windshield, the hood and roof.

“A trooper stopped this driver on SR 16 after the vehicle was observed to be completely covered in snow,” Weatherwax stated. “The driver received a $553 ticket for negligent driving in the 2nd degree. Please take the time to remove all snow from your vehicle before you leave the house.”

Many are lax about clearing snow from their vehIcles before driving, but not to this degree.

Weatherwax said that the driver had been reported for erratic diving by other motorists and continued another 5 miles before being pulled over.

“The rear of the vehicle had just as much snow as the front,” Weatherwax told The News Tribune.

The driver’s excuse was simply that the windshield wipers weren’t working.

Michigan deer hunters victimized by catalytic converter thieves

Michigan hunters are on alert in Ionia County after a continued uptick in catalytic converter thefts.

Hunters are on alert in at least one Michigan county after an apparent uptick in catalytic converter thefts.

The Ionia County Sheriff’s Office reported this week that at least two catalytic converters were removed from vehicles while their occupants were deer hunting.

The agency stated via Facebook: “Recently, Otisco Township Deputy Joseph Tefft took two reports of catalytic converters being cut and stolen from vehicles that were parked near rural hunting areas while the owners were out hunting for deer.

“We ask the public to watch for suspicious activity, and to report it immediately to Ionia Central Dispatch by calling 616-527-0400 or dialing 9-1-1.”

ALSO: Record smallmouth bass reeled from Lake Erie; ‘I was trembling’

One comment reads: “Wow!!! That takes some guts…..climbing under somebody’s vehicle and cutting off their converter…….knowing that person is in the woods with a loaded gun.”

The soaring number of catalytic converter thefts for their precious metals – including palladium, platinum, and rhodium – is a nationwide phenomenon and can involve sophisticated crime rings.

A single catalytic converter can fetch as much as $1,000 on the black market.

–White-tailed deer image is generic

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One of Ohio’s largest criminal schemes involving deer closes

Fourteen people were convicted on 122 counts, including felonies and misdemeanors, in a case seeing search warrants executed in two states.

Fourteen people were charged with and convicted on 122 counts, including felonies and misdemeanors, as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife closed the adjudication phase of one of the state’s largest white-tail deer commercialization cases.

The list of charges included engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities, grand theft, falsification, tampering with records, possession of untagged deer parts, hunting with an illegal implement, and complicity to wildlife sales, according to ODNR.

The case included the illegal taking of deer and selling venison, and focused on A&E Deer Processing in Gallia County.

The defendants combined to pay $70,013.14 in fines and restitution, paid more than $6,700 in court costs and forfeited all the evidence seized during the execution of search warrants.

Collectively, they received a hunting license revocation totaling 63 years.

The maximum restitution to one individual was $20,000 with another paying $13,000. Multiple individuals received extensive hunting license suspensions.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Duck hunter fined $4,000 for violating 1930s regulation

In February 2020, five search warrants were executed in Gallia County by Division of Wildlife law enforcement with an additional search warrant conducted in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Wildlife officers and investigators conducted 22 interviews in Ohio and three in Pennsylvania to verify the alleged violations.

More from ODNR:

During the execution of the search warrants, more than 1,000 items were seized, including venison and venison processing equipment, deer harvest records, deer mounts and antlers, and hunting implements. A stolen rifle, illegally possessed firearm suppressors, and a moonshine still were also discovered during the searches.

The investigation revealed the owners and operators of the deer processing business falsely game checked deer, created false deer harvest records, falsified deer tags, exceeded deer hunting limits, and stole venison from customers who brought in deer for processing. Falsified records allowed the deer processors to take and have in their possession more deer than they were lawfully allowed.

Stolen venison was stockpiled and laundered into summer sausage that was sold for profit. Over the course of two hunting seasons, investigators documented more than 2,000 pounds of venison that were either stolen from their 280 customers or taken by unlawful means such as jacklighting, taking deer out of season, and falsifying records.

Generic photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

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Watch: Unleashed dog harasses endangered Hawaiian monk seal

A 52-year-old man was cited Tuesday by state and federal authorities in after his dog was caught on video harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.

A 52-year-old man was cited Tuesday in Hawaii by state and federal authorities after his dog was caught on video harassing an endangered monk seal.

The incident occurred Oct. 10 at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park on the island of Hawaii.

The accompanying footage, released this week by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, shows the dog menacing the seal, and the seal’s frightened reaction.

The footage also shows the dog’s owner approaching the seal while trying to catch and leash his dog.

The man’s identity was not disclosed out of concern that he’ll become the target of threats and harassment – as has occurred after past incidents involving the culturally revered seals.

ALSO: In San Diego, a dead great white shark and a plea to anglers

The Hawaiian monk seal, endemic to the northwest Hawaiian islands, is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. Only about 1,400 remain and people are required to give them space when they haul ashore to rest.

The Hawaii DNLR stated in a news release that it took weeks to track down the man, a recent transplant from the mainland, after receiving video footage captured by a witness.

State citations include harassment of an endangered or threatened species and permitting a dog to stray in violation of the Hawaii County Code. Federal citations include violation of the Endangered Species Act and failure to restrain a pet, disturbing wildlife activities.

The man is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 26, 2023.

Duck hunter fined $4,000 for violating 1930s regulation

Acting on a tip, wildlife officers caught a hunter in the act of violating an 87-year-old law within the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

A man in Connecticut was caught illegally baiting ducks around a hunting blind by spreading kernels of corn and then shooting them, doing so under the watchful eyes of the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police, which had been tipped off by an anonymous complaint.

David Foster, 51, of Westbrook, and two other hunters shot and retrieved ducks over the area that had been baited by Foster. When confronted, Foster admitted he had spread corn over the hunting area to attract ducks, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Connecticut stated.

Foster violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which bans people from hunting any migratory game bird by baiting, and was fined $4,000 by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley.

In late September and early October 2020, the Environmental Conservation Police and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, acting on a tip, investigated the spreading of whole kernel corn around a hunting blind on Menunketesuck Island in Westbrook.

On Oct. 10, 2020, the opening day of duck hunting season, officers established surveillance near the duck blind and observed Foster and two other hunters shooting and retrieving ducks over the area that had been baited.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Hunter uses two guns to stop attacking grizzly bear

Foster pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, 2022.

The hunter previously violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act near the same river by baiting waterfowl in 2009, prosecutors say, according to the Belleville News-Democrat.

From Ducks Unlimited:

Federal regulations to restrict baiting for waterfowl hunting in the U.S. were initially established in the early 1930s. Concerns about commercial shooting over baited areas and live decoys increased as waterfowl populations declined dramatically during the “dirty thirties.” Initial controls on baiting were through a system of permits with a provision that baited areas would not be shot after 3:00 p.m.

Further clarification and strengthening during 1935 and 1936, however, led to a regulation that stated: “migratory game birds may not be taken … by the aid of baiting, or on or over any baited area … ‘baiting’ shall mean the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of shelled, shucked, or un-shucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt or other feed so as to constitute for such birds a lure, attraction or enticement to, on or over any area where hunters are attempting to take them.”

Photo of the duck blind in question courtesy of U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

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Oregon launches probe after two bears are found dead in trees

Oregon is seeking help from the public in locating the person(s) responsible for shooting a bear and leaving the animal to waste.

Oregon is seeking help from the public in locating the person(s) responsible for shooting a black bear and leaving the animal to waste.

The Oregon State Police Wildlife Division explained via news release that on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Troopers responded to a tip about a dead bear in a tree with an arrow in its flesh.

They found that the bear had also been shot two times with a gun. The Jackson County Fire Department assisted in retrieving the carcass.

Jackson County Fire Department was called to retrieve the bear carcass

The incident occurred near Anderson Creek Road, outside of Talent.

ALSO: In San Diego, a dead great white shark and a plea to anglers

On October 31, a second bear was found dead in a tree in the same area. Its body was decomposed but OSP believes the animal’s death was “human-caused.”

Both incidents are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 1-800-452-7888, text *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Case number is SP22291483.

–Top image is generic, courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Law enforcement looking for freeway poachers of two elk

A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest or citation in the case of a bull and cow elk being poached from I-5.

Two elk—one a bull, the other a cow–were believed to have been shot from a vehicle on a freeway near Glendale, Oregon, and law enforcement has posted a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest or citation.

Numerous drivers on Interstate 5 contacted authorities on the morning of Oct. 26 to report seeing elk carcasses within 100 yards of I-5, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

When troopers arrived at the scene, they discovered the bull was left entirely to waste while poachers processed and removed meat from the cow, which would have taken considerable time by lantern or flashlight. Troopers managed to salvage the meat from the bull and donate it to charity.

“There is no excuse for this disgusting behavior,” said Brian Wolfer, ODFW Wildlife Division Deputy Administrator. “For many people it is a thrill just to see an elk and these people not only poached two elk but wasted one. It is also illegal and dangerous to shoot from a public road, let alone a highway. I hope someone out there can help bring them to justice.”

Law enforcement officials are looking for a person seen earlier in the day on Oct. 25 driving a silver-colored midsized pickup truck slowly in the southbound land and the person of interest had a rifle.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Bear pins man to ground in late-night attack in his backyard

“It is believed the subject(s) used a flashlight in the field between 7:00 p.m. October 25 and 7:00 a.m. October 26,” the Oregon State Police stated.

The elk were part of a herd of about 80, according to Central Oregon Daily News.

“When people poach, they steal natural resources from all of us,” said Yvonne Shaw, Stop Poaching Campaign coordinator for ODFW. “Oregonians value our wildlife, both for viewing and for legal hunting.”

Photos courtesy of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State Police.