Tag: poacher

Lying poacher to pay record amount for illegal take of trophy buck

Offender illegally harvested an 18-point trophy buck on private property he claimed to be his sister’s. Accomplices were also sentenced.

A poacher illegally harvested a trophy white-tailed deer buck on private property he falsely claimed belonged to his sister, resulting in the largest restitution value for a single white-tailed deer in Ohio history.

Christopher J. Alexander, 28, pleaded guilty to 14 counts related to the incident and was sentenced Thursday to pay the maximum restitution for the 18-point trophy buck amounting to $35,071.73, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. The illegal take was in November 2023.

Restitution increased to $39,696.73 when $4,625 was added for a second unlawfully taken buck during the 2023 hunting season.

In addition, Alexander, of Wilmington, must pay $1,000 in fines, $1,000 to the Turn In a Poacher program, $2,000 in restitution to media outlets, and all court costs.

Alexander was also sentenced to complete five years of community control (probation) and serve six months at STAR Community Justice Center, a locked-down community-based correctional facility.

His hunting license was revoked for 10 years and he forfeited all the property seized as evidence, including the antlers.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Poacher doesn’t care to be ethical hunter, claims addiction to venison

One accomplice was Alexander’s sister, Kristina M. Alexander, who wrote a false letter of permission to hunt on her property that Alexander presented to wildlife officers after the deer was killed to mislead them, as reported by WHIO.

Kristina, 37, of Blanchester was charged for obstructing official business and aiding a wildlife offender. She was ordered to pay $500 in fines, $500 to the TIP program and court costs, and to serve 60 days in jail, suspended, and complete one year of monitored time supervision.

Other accomplices and sentences, as stated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources:

“Corey P. Haunert, 29, of Hillsboro, was charged for attempted tampering with evidence, aiding a wildlife offender in taking or possessing deer (three counts), hunting without permission, and falsification. He was ordered to pay $500 in fines; pay $500 to the TIP program; pay additional court costs; serve 90 days in jail, suspended; complete 200 hours of community service; and complete three years of community control. In addition, his hunting license was revoked for three years and he forfeited a tree stand and crossbow.

“Zachary R. Haunert, 31, of Lebanon, was charged for aiding a wildlife offender. He was ordered to pay $250 in fines; pay $250 to the TIP program; pay additional court costs; serve 60 days in jail, suspended; and complete one year of monitored time supervision.”

Among the counts Alexander pleaded guilty to were illegal taking or possession of deer (two), hunting without a license, hunting without a deer permit, selling illegally taken or possessed deer antlers, spotlighting, hunting without permission (four), tampering with evidence, theft, misdemeanor theft, and falsification.

Photo courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Amid Montana investigation, deer left to roam with arrow in back

Authorities are requesting public assistance in an attempt to identify the person who fired the arrow.

Authorities in Montana are investigating a poaching case involving a mule deer buck that’s still carrying an arrow that somebody shot into its back.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, wardens responded to a call from a Billings Heights resident about the wounded deer on Nov. 2.

Wardens located the deer and decided that it had been shot the same day, within city limits where hunting is banned. (Montana’s archery deer-hunting season ended Oct. 20.)

An image released to the media shows the arrow deeply embedded into the top of the deer’s back, near its spine. But the deer apparently has full mobility, so FWP decided against a capture effort.

Injured mule deer. Photo: Montana, Fish, Wildlife & Parks

“FWP does not believe the arrow wound will be fatal for the deer and at this time are not planning to capture the deer to remove the arrow,” the agency stated Tuesday in a news release.

Anyone with potentially helpful information is asked to call the regional warden at 406-860-7805, or submit a report via tipmont.mt.gov.

Man brags about hunts, portrays self as outdoor celebrity, then is busted

A Washington man who suggested his hunting exploits should be featured on outdoor TV shows is sentenced as a big-game poacher.

A man who suggested that his hunting exploits should be featured on outdoor TV shows was sentenced as a big-game poacher, and trespasser.

Jason Smith, 29, illegally killed four elk, four black bears and five black-tailed deer in Western Washington and bragged on social media about his tracking and killing prowess, and posted photos of his kills, the Washington Department of Wildlife announced.

Smith was charged with two felony counts of first-degree unlawful hunting of big game, 27 gross misdemeanor charges of second-degree unlawful hunting of big game, unlawful black bear baiting and unlawful waste of wildlife; and three misdemeanor charges of unlawful hunting or retrieving wildlife from private property.

A King County judge sentenced Smith to 80 hours of community service and fined him $8,000.

WDFW Police began investigating Smith in early 2021 upon seeing his multitude of successful harvest posts on social media, believing early on that the suspect had illegally killed multiple elk in the North Bend area of King County.

During the next 1½ years, officers obtained numerous search warrants for social media and mapping tools, gathering evidence of the suspect’s poaching activities.

From the WDFW:

In numerous cases, Smith used illegal means to bait deer, elk, and black bear as well as trespassed onto private property to poach or retrieve illegally killed animals. In one case, he left an elk carcass to waste after another person found the poached elk before he could retrieve it.

Smith posted photos of his exploits on social media and told friends about his tracking and killing prowess, suggesting he should be featured on extreme outdoor TV shows. In reality, much of the wildlife he poached was baited into his yard or poached on his neighbor’s property. In a text message obtained during the warrant, Smith also said he would kill another elk for a friend that hadn’t shot one yet if he got to keep the head to mount.

In the end, Officers served a search warrant at Smith’s residence and seized some of the wildlife parts, including meat. Other animals were seized from a taxidermist.

“Smith attempted to portray himself as a type of outdoor celebrity, using social media to boast, when in reality, there was nothing ethical about his actions,” said WDFW Captain Dan Chadwick.

“I commend our Officers’ hard work and ingenuity in completing this case. They are committed to ensuring safe and ethical opportunities while conserving our big game natural resources. We’d also like to thank the King County Prosecutors Office and the Attorney General’s Office Environmental Protection Division for their work on this case.”

Fisherman man pleads ignorance after killing great white shark

The New Zealand man, who removed the protected shark’s head and jaw, claimed to have had an excuse.

A New Zealand fisherman who recently captured and decapitated a protected great white shark has been fined $600 – his excuse being that he did not  know what type of shark he had caught.

The nation’s Department of Conservation announced Friday that its investigation began March 15, after a Māori elder notified authorities after she spotted the headless shark carcass near the Mahia Boat Ramp.

(View a graphic image of the carcass in this link.)

The fisherman was located and confessed to catching the shark and removing its head and jaw. The man told authorities he did not know it was a white shark.

“As well as failing to report his capture of the animal, the man received the infringement for being in possession of the head and jaw of the shark without a relevant authority under the Wildlife Act,” said the DOC’s Matt Tong.

Some on social media did not believe the man’s story. The Blue Planet Society stated via X: “His defense? Claims he didn’t know it was a great white shark. Even though he kept the head.”

The shark’s head and jaw were donated to the Māori community.

Great white sharks are protected under New Zealand’s Wildlife Act 1953. Intentionally hunting and killing them is punishable by fines of up to $250,000 and two years’ imprisonment.

Fishermen are required to report unintentional white shark captures if the sharks cannot be released alive.

“Accidentally catching something is not an infringement,” the DOC explained. “But keeping, killing, or failing to report it is.”

–Top image courtesy of the Department of Conservation

‘Rare game species’ poached in Oregon; reward set at $4,500

Authorities say the poacher removed the head and horns from the bighorn sheep ram and left the carcass to waste.

A $4,500 reward is being offered in Oregon for information leading to the felony arrest of the poacher who killed a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep for its head and horns.

The carcass was discovered last Nov. 30 on BLM land near Hibbard Creek Road south of Baker City. An investigation has turned up few leads.

“It’s so hard to believe that someone would shoot and waste such an amazing animal,” Kevin Martin, president of the Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation, stated in an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife news release.

“The Lookout Mountain herd of bighorn sheep is an area ODFW, Wild Sheep Foundation, OR WSF and our partners have been focusing a lot of resources to understand what has caused the ongoing loss of animals and this criminal act just adds to that loss.”

Oregon is home to about 800 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and hunting is strictly regulated, with only about 100 tags issued each year.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife states on its website: “Bighorn sheep tags are ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ so you can only draw the tag once. If you are lucky enough to do so, scouting and being physically prepared for their rugged country are key.”

The poacher had no tag and left the carcass to waste.

Illegally killing a bighorn sheep in Oregon carries a penalty of up to $10,000 in fines, suspension of hunting license, and forfeiture of the weapon used to kill the sheep.

“In this case, additional charges of waste of a game mammal would likely apply,” the ODFW added.

The $4,500 reward was put up by multiple groups and announced Thursday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov.
Tipsters can choose to remain anonymous.

Poacher threatens to kill landowner, gets jail and lifetime hunting ban

A 22-year-old man apparently learned nothing from his previous conviction for poaching. Will his punishment this time be enough deterrence?

A 22-year-old man pointed a gun at and threatened to kill a landowner who confronted him about illegally hunting at night with a spotlight from a vehicle during a closed season.

William Franklin Stamey Jr., who had a previous poaching conviction and obviously did not learn from his poor choice, received a felony conviction for his latest misdeeds, which cost him $12,500 in restitution, along with fines and court costs. The 22-year-old also was banned for life from hunting and forfeited a spotlight, a muzzleloader, a rifle, and a compound bow, along with deer meat, turkey parts and 14 deer racks.

On Friday, Stamey pleaded guilty in Hawkins County Circuit Court to aggravated assault, spotlighting deer, hunting from a motor vehicle, and a second and third offense of hunting big game in closed season, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency disclosed in a Facebook post.

“Stamey was ordered to serve six months of a four-year sentence for the aggravated assault charge, and six months for each of the hunting big game in closed season charges, with all jail time to run concurrently,” the post stated.

Last August 16 around 11:30 p.m., Stamey and an accomplice were hunting from a road on McKinney Chapel Road and, aided by a spotlight, killed a doe and a seven-point buck from their vehicle during a closed season.

When a landowner confronted him, Stamey pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him.

The landowner presumably contacted law enforcement, and later that night a Hawkins County Sheriff’s deputy stopped the poachers and discovered them to be possession of a spotlight and hunting rifles. Stamey and the driver were taken into custody and a third vehicle occupant was charged as an accessory. The driver and the accessory will appear in court later this month.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was contacted and an investigation uncovered further poaching activity.

When Wildlife Officer Justin Pinkston went to serve Stamey with a criminal summons on September 15, he discovered a buck deer carcass in his backyard. Records indicated that Stamey had checked the deer in as an archery harvest on August 27, but did not possess an archery license.

Four days later, TWRA executed a search warrant on Stamey’s residence where 11 more sets of deer antlers were found; Stamey admitted to poaching them. He also admitted to shooting a bearded hen turkey in 2022. he failed to check it in as required by law.

“Over a three-and-a-half-year period, Stamey was charged with killing or assisting in killing 15 deer illegally, and admitted to poaching 20 deer from the road in 2020 alone,” Pinkston said. “Sadly, most of these deer were left lying and were never recovered.”

In May 2021, Stamey entered a plea agreement for spotlighting, hunting from a public roadway and deer hunting in a closed season in Greene County in November 2020. Further details were not revealed about that case.

Boy, 11, helps Oregon troopers nab deer poacher

The boy was home sick from school when he witnessed the unlawful killing of a deer on private property.

An 11-year-old Oregon boy has been rewarded $1,000 for providing a tip that led to the arrest of a deer poacher.

The Oregon State Police explained in a news release that the boy, Gage, witnessed the unlawful killing and retrieval of a deer on private property.

Gage was home from school with an illness at the time. He reported the incident via the state’s Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline.

The reward came from the Oregon Hunters Association and Gage told OSP troopers that he was considering using some of the money to purchase gaming goggles.

–Image courtesy of the Oregon State Police

Bears, wolf and bighorn sheep poached in same Oregon county

Authorities in Oregon are investigating recent poaching incidents involving black bear cubs, a gray wolf, and a bighorn sheep.

Authorities in Oregon are investigating recent poaching incidents involving black bear cubs, a gray wolf, and a bighorn sheep.

Each incident occurred in Baker County during the last week of November, and in each case the animals were killed unlawfully and left to waste.

It was not known if a single poacher was responsible.

The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division stated in a news release that on Nov. 27 two bear cubs were found dead off USFS 77 Road inside the Keating Wildlife Management Unit.

Both animals had been shot.

On the same day, Fish & Wildlife troopers, acting on a tip, found a wolf carcass near Sparta Road, also within the Keating Wildlife Management Unit.

On Nov. 30, a trooper responded to the discovery of a bighorn sheep ram that had been shot and left – without its head and horns – near Hubbard Creek Road within the Lookout Mountain Wildlife Management Unit.

The Lookout Wildlife Management Unit is directly below the Keating Wildlife Management Unit.

The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons responsible for the unlawful killings.

The agency’s tip lines are 800-452-7888 or *OSP (for mobile phone users). Rewards are being offered in each case.

–Generic black bear image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Man turns himself in for wildlife crimes prompted by ‘elk fever’

The sight of an elk herd numbering about 30 animals was apparently too much to resist for a man who repeatedly shot into the herd.

The sight of an elk herd numbering about 30 animals was apparently too much to resist for a 66-year-old man who repeatedly shot into the herd as if it were his own shooting gallery, and later blamed “elk fever” for his illegal actions near Nehalem, Oregon.

Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers cited the unidentified man for shooting from a road, unlawful take/possession of antlerless elk, and unlawful take/possession of bull elk. The troopers seized a .308 rifle for evidence, along with the elk the man had tagged and processed, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The man had permission to hunt on private property. He legally killed a cow elk, field-dressed the animal and left the area, the landowner told officials.

“The guy came out and stopped at the road, and started shooting,” the landowner said. “I told another hunter, who said the guy shouldn’t have left. He should have called state police and turned himself in.”

Also on FTW Outdoors: Man kills grizzly bear and cub, and attempts to cover up his crime

Instead, the landowner called the man and encouraged him to return to the field, call OSP and turn himself in for poaching, which is what the man did. Had he not, the landowner presumably would have done so.

The subject expressed remorse after the event and blamed “elk fever.”

Once OSP F&W Troopers reached the scene, they found three wounded elk wandering with the herd of about 30 animals. A trooper put down a mortally wounded cow elk, and the following day, troopers put down a mortally wounded bull. A wounded cow elk ran into the Nehalem River and presumably drowned.

Fortunately, the elk meat was not wasted. Two elk went to the Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde and one elk went to the Tillamook County Jail.

Generic elk photos courtesy of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Poachers shoot at elephant-viewing tour boat; ‘scariest day of my life’ (video)

“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.

[listicle id=1999778]