Vermont Fish and Wildlife – Syndication Server

Poacher forfeits car and crossbow, and is fined in ‘deer jacking’ case

In a case that began three years ago, a poacher was mandated to forfeit his vehicle and weapon, and was fined for his wildlife crimes.

In a case that began three years ago, a poacher was mandated this week to forfeit his vehicle and weapon, and was ordered to pay fines and lose his hunting privileges for his wildlife crimes.

Shane Phillips, 43, of Johnson, Vermont, was cited for “deer jacking”—also known as illegally shooting deer at night—after being caught in the act in October 2020 during in a sting operation conducted by game wardens from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, according to VFWD.

“During the field operation game wardens witnessed an occupant of a black Buick Regal use an artificial light to illuminate two ‘deer facsimiles’—lifelike model deer placed by game wardens to draw out poachers after the close of legal shooting hours or outside of the legal hunting season,” the VFWD stated. “Wardens watched as the suspect then shot the buck facsimile with a crossbow.”

The suspect fled the scene when confronted, but the subsequent investigation led law enforcement to Phillips.

Law enforcement confiscated his car and executed a search warrant whereupon officers discovered the crossbow and determined “it had been fired.”

Philips was cited in court in 2020 for taking big game by illegal means, taking big game in a closed season, shooting from a motor vehicle, shooting from a public highway and possessing a cocked crossbow in a motor vehicle.

From VFWD:

Phillips must pay $2,877 in fines and will lose his privileges to hunt, fish, and trap for three years. In addition, on October 2, 2023, the Lamoille County Superior Court mandated that Phillips forfeit the 2011 Buick Regal and Bear Saga crossbow that he used while deer jacking to the state.

“Prosecuting law violators takes time,” said Game Warden Lt. Carl Wedin. “Catching a deer jacker in the act is one thing, seeing justice served is an entirely different operation. Vermont hunters can be gratified to see this poacher forfeit his vehicle and weapon, in addition to his fine and loss of his hunting privileges for the next three years.”

Photo of artificial deer courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife.

Ice fisherman catches odd-looking fish that was considered suspicious

An odd-looking fish caught ice fishing had officials wondering if it had been lying in a cooler in direct contact with ice for a few hours.

An odd-looking fish caught through the ice had Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials wondering if it had been lying in a cooler in direct contact with ice for a few hours.

It hadn’t.

Caden Hurley, who caught the strangely colored fish in a pond in central Vermont, “assured” VFW that the fish came through the hole in the ice exactly as you see it in his photos. And then it was released alive.

So, what is it? It’s a piebald chain pickerel.

VFW explained it on its Facebook page:

“We’ve shared photos of ‘piebald’ or leucistic deer and woodcock…now prepare yourself for a leucistic chain pickerel! Leucism is a pigment condition that affects some of an animal’s cells, resulting in pale color that may be patchy or nearly complete across the body.

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“One main difference between true albinism and leucism is that albinism affects cells in the eyes, causing that classic pink color, while leucism does not. You can see that this pickerel has normal colored eyes for the species. It doesn’t happen often in fish, so this is a very special catch!”

A special and strange catch, indeed.

Photos courtesy of Vermont Fish and Wildlife.

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Two women wreak havoc on legal bear hunters; hunting dog injured

Three hunters return to their vehicle to discover two women in the act of vandalizing their truck, and things got heated from there.

Three Vermont hunters returning to their vehicle after an unsuccessful bear hunt found two women letting air out of the tires of the vehicle, and after an ensuing argument, one woman released her dog, which attacked and injured one of the hunting hounds.

The incident occurred in the 26,000-acre Groton State Forest near Noyes Pond on Oct. 9. After an investigation by the Vermont State Game Warden, the two women identified as Donna Babic and Betty Eastman were cited on Nov. 11 and on Nov. 22 they were found guilty in Caledonia Superior Court of interfering with hunters.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department announced on Tuesday that the two women were each fined $262 and lost their license privileges for fishing, hunting and trapping for a year.

Theodore Shumway and two companions were hunting black bear with hounds when a bear led the hounds onto private property before climbing a tree.

The hunters went onto the private land to retrieve the hounds and then left the bear in the tree. According to the outdoors site MeatEater, hunters are allowed to retrieve their hunting dogs from unenclosed private property even without permission to actively hunt the land.

“On returning to his truck with leashed hounds, Mr. Shumway encountered Donna Babic and Betty Eastman releasing air from the tires of his truck,” the VFWD stated. “Following an argument between the parties, one of the two women allowed a German shepherd out of their vehicle. The loose German shepherd attacked and injured one of the leashed hounds, which required veterinary care.

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“Vermont State Troopers responded to an emergency call from Mr. Shumway to defuse the situation.”

The investigation revealed that the hunters were acting lawfully; they were licensed and permitted to hunt bear. The game warden cited Babic and Eastman with violations of Title 10 VSA 4708, Interfering with Hunting, Fishing or Trapping.

“Vermonters don’t always agree on wildlife management, especially when it comes to big game,” said Colonel Jason Batchelder, Fish and Wildlife’s Chief Game Warden. “Even so, I would ask that Vermonters respect one another’s constitutional right to hunt. Intentionally interfering with legal hunters in any fashion will result in court action, especially in a potentially dangerous fashion as we saw in this case.”

Batchelder told MeatEater that the German shepherd’s attack on the leashed hound caused severe injuries to its head, legs and pelvis. The veterinary bill was “well in excess of $2,000.”

From MeatEater:

Babic told responding officers that she had intended to “make a statement” with her actions.

“I saw them come up through, and I knew they were illegally on the land, so we came up here,” Babic said in a recorded statement captured by an officer’s body camera. “We let a little air out of the tires. We wanted them to stay here because they were illegal. My underlying first thought would be that I’m sick and tired of bear dog hunting in the neighborhood, and that I knew they were illegal. I was trying to make a statement.”

Babic told the responding troopers and investigators with VFWD that she did not intend to release the German shepherd but accidentally let it out of Eastman’s back seat in the wake of the heated argument.

It was reported that neither of the women owned the private property in question.

Photos courtesy of Vermont Fish and Wildlife and Wikipedia Commons.