Montana Bighorn Poached

[Sytes]

Yup...

I'd like to see that SOB become someones sex slave in prison for about 10 years... But, sometimes I just think funny.

I'm more supportive of the modern day snowflake penalty.

2 hours of undocumented bighorn ram "hunting" class. They initially called it poaching, however the, "hunters" rioted, looted taxidermy shops, and thus, the governing authorities agreed to call it, "hunting" and reduced the funding of our Game Wardens because they inconvenienced their, eh... "undocumented hunting".

 

[tjones]

We can send thanks to :

SEN. MIKE LANG (R) - SD17 Malta​

for his bill last session making it legal to pickup sheep deadheads. Everyone knew this bill would pave the way for this type of poaching. Well, almost everyone.

​

 

[Losing_Sanity]

I'm more supportive of the modern day snowflake penalty.

2 hours of undocumented bighorn ram "hunting" class. They initially called it poaching, however the, "hunters" rioted, looted taxidermy shops, and thus, the governing authorities agreed to call it, "hunting" and reduced the funding of our Game Wardens because they inconvenienced their, eh... "undocumented hunting".

Sometimes you think funny too...

 

[Oak]

Can't remember if I've shared this story before. Read "A Camper's Concern" on page 40 of this document (page number 35).

 

[Irrelevant]

Can't remember if I've shared this story before. Read "A Camper's Concern" on page 40 of this document (page number 35).

That is freakin' disgusting. But I like the report, not typical dry writing but more of a story, a report full of sad stories.

25k is certainly more like it, but still divide that by 4 and it's closer to the same penalty.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Can't remember if I've shared this story before. Read "A Camper's Concern" on page 40 of this document (page number 35).

Good Lord!

 

[Pucky Freak]

I’m not sure there’s a $ amount high enough to make a meaningful difference if he’s got $50 in his checking account. I’d like to see an additional penalty of 2000 hours community service in sheep conservation.

 

[COEngineer]

Ohhhh, there's a city named Belgrade in MT...I thought the dude came all the way from Serbia to poach a sheep.

 

[406LIFE]

So I spoke with Eric Owens, Deputy County Attorney, today. He was the prosecuting attorney out of Blaine County. He spoke as freely as he could about the case, only being reserved concerning the investigation. I let him know that I was happy to see the 10 years of revoked privileges and he replied that was his priority in the plea agreement. My question to him as to why the restitution and fine were only $4,000, instead of the statutory $30,000 was not as satisfactory. He agreed that the sheep poached could have warranted the higher restitution. However, it was his opinion that if he had levied that amount against the poacher that it would have ended up being invalidated (due to the crime being a misdemeanor and the amount of the restitution being far above average fines for that category of crime) and would have threatened the entirety of the punishments. This was his first case like this and he has been in the position for only a handful of years.

I certainly don't know all the aspects of this case and am no in the chair deciding someone's fate as the DCA is. Still, as has been said many times, poachers will poach, and revocation of licenses means little to them. Yet, a financial hit of $30,000 in addition to loss of privileges (and perhaps community service) would sting more.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Bullshit. That restitution amount has been in place for 20 plus years. It hasn't been invalidated yet. The judge should have overruled that and instituted the full amount.

 

[Labman]

We can send thanks to :

SEN. MIKE LANG (R) - SD17 Malta​

for his bill last session making it legal to pickup sheep deadheads. Everyone knew this bill would pave the way for this type of poaching. Well, almost everyone.

​

Bullock (D) signed it into law, it was a bipartisan effort.

 

[Sytes]

Why the large disparity between the House and Senate - regarding bipartisan / partisan? @Ben Lamb or any others? (Re: Bighorn deadhead collection SB344)

 

[wyoboypt]

That is a pathetic penalty for the crime.

Then you’ll love the Nebraska poaching cases thread from a couple weeks back. Even worse!

 

[sschultz]

Do any of you "the sky is falling " hunters have any proof that the dead head law has resulted in a poaching incident. Other than this one

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Do any of you "the sky is falling " hunters have any proof that the dead head law has resulted in a poaching incident. Other than this one

Yes

 

[sschultz]

Yes

Waiting for something

 

[Dan O]

This is typical for most F&G laws. You get a small fine compared to the offense and lose hunting rights. There needs to be maximum jail time in addition to the other penalty's.

 

[BuzzH]

Bullshit. That restitution amount has been in place for 20 plus years. It hasn't been invalidated yet. The judge should have overruled that and instituted the full amount.

Agreed, its been in place for a while and IIRC, Greg Munther did a lot of work on that bill...

Not sure what for when the prosecutors and judges refuse to use it.

 

[Slm864]

I always shake my head when I see the punishment that an outlaw has their hunting privileges revoked for a certain period of time. Anyone willing to illegally kill a bighorn is most likely definitely willing to hunt the next 10 years without a license. They will just hone their skills better to make sure they aren’t getting caught.

I do not have an answer as to how you punish a criminal who is poaching. Jail time just puts the burden on the tax payers, high fines means they won’t pay them anyway or will skip paying other things they should be and license revoking will make them hunt more illegally. Even as I type that though I feel I am in favor of throwing the book to the hardest degree to anyone who commits the crime. If it means it ruins their life then so be it. Think before you act, life has consequences.

 

[runningmt]

It was pretty easy to see that this would be the outcome of changing the law to allow picking up deadheads. Of course I would love to find one, but I would rather see the law reversed to make picking them up illegal again. I also think all buying and selling of ANY wild game parts should be illegal, yes including antlers.