Tag: Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Poacher doesn’t care to be ethical hunter, claims addiction to venison

Man facing 10 charges for illegal deer hunting makes outrageous claims and admissions to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

A man who admits to being an unethical hunter but doesn’t care because he claims to be addicted to venison was in court last week for a pretrial hearing regarding the 10 charges he faces relating to illegal deer hunting in Michigan.

Scott Kevin Meisterheim, 55, of Kalamazoo was arraigned earlier this month in 8th District Court of Kalamazoo County for taking white-tailed deer outside of lawful hunting hours (one count), hunting white-tailed deer without a license (two counts), using deer hunting licenses of someone else (two counts), taking an over-limit of antlered white-tailed deer (two counts) and transporting/possessing untagged antlered white-tailed deer (three counts).

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources also reported that it requested additional charges for illegal baiting, failing to immediately validate/attach kill tags and using another’s hunting license.

DNR conservation officers began investigating Meisterheim in February 2022 after receiving tips via its Report All Poaching Hotline.

Several witnesses spoke to Conservation Officer James Nason about the suspect’s illegal hunting activity from October to December 2021.

From the DNR:

Evidence collected during the investigation revealed that Meisterheim took at least 11 deer from Oct. 1-Dec. 24, 2021, including three deer Oct. 1, and that he believed he was “tagged out” the first week of archery season. Within three days, Meisterheim let two deer spoil; those were rejected by the processor due to their condition…

Meisterheim, who was hunting without a hunting license, during all hours of the day and while using illegal bait [sic], also obtained other people’s deer tags to cover his illegal deer, if he even tagged them at all.

While serving time in the Kalamazoo County Jail for domestic abuse, Meisterheim made his outrageous claims and admissions in an interview with Nason.

“Sure, I love to kill deer,” he said. “If I could kill more I would, to be honest with you.”

He also said he “is not the most ethical hunter, tagging other people’s deer, but I don’t care—I am addicted to the venison.”

Meisterheim also claimed that injured deer would stumble to and die near his hunting location. This was the reason he gave for being in possession of so many deer.

He also hunted several private properties without permission in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.

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“This is an excellent investigation of a poacher who shows no respect for the resource or the ethics of fair chase,” said Chief Dave Shaw, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “Violations of this type deprive law-abiding people of their opportunity to have access to and enjoy a public trust natural resource, in this case white-tailed deer.”

Meisterheim is due back in court in February. He is currently serving 18 months’ probation for aggravated domestic assault in Kalamazoo County.

Photo of the suspect with a deer and generic image of a white-tailed deer courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

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Fishing for salmon for first time, teen breaks 43-year-old record

Luis Martinez purchased a fishing license on Friday and by the end of Saturday was celebrating having caught a Michigan record for Chinook salmon.

Luis Martinez, a 19-year-old who had never fished for salmon before, purchased a fishing license on Friday and by the end of Saturday was celebrating having caught a Michigan record for Chinook salmon.

Martinez, fishing on Lake Michigan with Icebreaker Charters, landed a 47.86-pound, 47.5-inch Chinook salmon that broke the state record that had stood for 43 years, as reported by the Ludington Daily News and WLNS. The old record was 46.06 pounds and 43.5 inches caught in 1978 in the Grand River in Kent County.

“I honestly fell asleep the whole way until my mom said, ‘You’re up,’ and I was like, what?” Martinez explained to WLNS. “They handed me the fishing pole and I started reeling the thing in.”

It took about 30 minutes to land.

“The first 10 minutes were tiring, my arms were sore, I was ready to give up, but my mom was yelling, ‘Don’t give up, keep reeling it in,’” Martinez told WLNS. “The fish started to jump out of the water, you could see it and they were like so excited because it was huge. I was like, it’s just a fish, there’s nothing special about it, at least that’s what I thought.”

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Capt. Bobby Sullivan recognized the potential of the catch immediately.

“When it hit the floor, I said, ‘This thing is big,’” Sullivan told the Ludington Daily News. “And then I started second-guessing myself. I thought it was pushing 40 [pounds]. I told him, ‘You don’t realize what you just caught.’”

The catch was made at 7:30 a.m., so they continued fishing a while longer, catching one more salmon.

“The whole time I’m thinking, ‘I wish I had a scale, I wish I had a scale,’” Sullivan told the Ludington Daily News.

They eventually headed to Ray’s Auto Marine where the fish weighed more than 47 pounds on a scale that wasn’t certified, prompting a desire to get an official weight. That came at Northside Market, where the certified scale read 47.86 pounds. Later in the day, Jay Wesley, the Lake Michigan basin coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources, certified the catch as a state record.

“Unbelievable to have 47 pounds,” Wesley told the Daily News. “In fact, the last state record was in 1978, and it was snagged in the Grand River. To have this one to officially bite a lure, caught out in Lake Michigan and caught in the salmon capital of Michigan, Ludington, is pretty amazing.”

Martinez, who was fishing with his mother, sister and stepfather, told WLNS it was like winning the lottery in the fishing sense. He added, “I will go back [salmon fishing again], but I will never beat this fish. Everything is downhill from now on.”

Photos of Luis Martinez with fish and with fishing guide Bobby Sullivan courtesy of Jay Wesley of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Man charged with 125 wildlife crimes says he ‘likes to do it’

A Michigan man who was charged with 125 crimes against wildlife—including 18 wolves and three bald eagles—faces fines and jail time.

A Michigan man who was charged with 125 crimes against wildlife—including 18 wolves and three bald eagles—told law enforcement detectives that he was catching the animals because he could and “likes to do it.”

Kurt Johnston Duncan, 56, of Pickford was arraigned Wednesday in Chippewa County’s 91st District Court on 125 wildlife misdemeanor charges stemming from an 18-month investigation by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, the DNR announced.

Additional suspects are expected to be charged in the near future.

Duncan, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, faces jail, along with fines and restitution payments of $86,500 (based on the penalty structure) for killing the animals, the species of which included deer, turkey, bear and bobcat.

Specifically, he faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each wolf and bald eagle, with restitution of $1,500 per eagle and $500 per wolf. He faces up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine for each other the other wildlife crimes.

However, the Chippewa County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is only seeking $30,000 in restitution.

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Bald eagles are protected under state and federal law. Wolves are also protected in Michigan and are on the federal Endangered Species List.

“We had a team of conservation officers that worked well together throughout this investigation,” said DNR Law Enforcement Division Chief Gary Hagler. “Investigations like this require a long-term commitment from everyone involved. I want to thank the prosecutors in this case who worked with our officers. We are happy with the outcome and hope this case sets an example to prevent future natural resource crimes.”

DNR served four search warrants to Duncan in March. Law enforcement detectives said Duncan was using the animals for a variety of reasons, including crafts, selling, or disposing of them.

Conservation officers have collected evidence to support the charges against Duncan and identify additional suspects. Duncan’s cash bond was set at $500 with the stipulation he was to have no contact with the co-defendants, possess no firearms or dangerous weapons, and not participate in fishing or hunting.

Photo showing a conservation officer investigating snares Duncan was charged with using illegally to capture the animals is courtesy of DNR. A captured bird can be seen in lower right. A snare can be seen in circle.

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