Shed poacher

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Shed Antler Poacher Busted with More Than 1,000 Pounds of Rack. He's Now Banned from Wyoming Federal Lands

Twin Falls, Idaho resident Jonathan Lee Cox, 31, was sentenced for felony Lacey Act violations in March after poaching elk sheds from the National Elk Refuge.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[cgasner1]

Seems light

 

[Nick87]

Seems light

Doesn't it always.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Seems light

It's a lot of bone. I say 1 year for every pound of bone.

 

[cgasner1]

It's a lot of bone. I say 1 year for every pound of bone.

Should make him participate in the picking of bone for 10 years and give it to those people he was stealing from

 

[Bugle 'Em In]

Pretty light “punishment” in my humble opinion. Kudos to the LEO’s that got these fellas.

 

[Desk Pop]

It seems hardly worth the tax payers' money to enforce laws when the results are so puny.

$6,100 fine for $18,000 in antlers...and on a federal charge.

It's like when someone gets fined $5,000 for shooting a bighorn without a tag. Market price for a bighorn hunt is more than 10x that.

 

[lastlight]

Muley freak must have let his lawyer take on an extra client during his off season.

 

[ccc23454]

Pretty light “punishment” in my humble opinion. Kudos to the LEO’s that got these fellas.

Agreed punishment is ridicous to me, significantly higher is only way to stop the financial benefit of committing this crime in first place. The LEO's dont deserve ANY kudos, two guys packed out 1000 pounds of antlers before they caught/charged them, thats a lot of miles and trips! How many horns for how many years did they not get caught? Wish horn selling would just become federally illegal!

 

[cgasner1]

Since the money will probably match the crime in any of these types of cases would be nice for judges to start getting more creative. Would have liked to have seen 10 weeks of community service with this. One week a year picking up horn for that group. It also keeps him from just doing it somewhere else since he is out picking horn for a good cause. I read awhile back a judge ordered a guy to wear a anklet thru hunting season every year

 

[Shed God]

This is very prevalent in every state. Higher fines would be a huge deterent.

 

[BOHNTR]

The selling of shed antlers, should be illegal…..it wouldn’t solve all of the issues, but it would have a significant impact.

 

[Forkyfinder]

It seems hardly worth the tax payers' money to enforce laws when the results are so puny.

$6,100 fine for $18,000 in antlers...and on a federal charge.

It's like when someone gets fined $5,000 for shooting a bighorn without a tag. Market price for a bighorn hunt is more than 10x that.

Worse they get to keep it. He still net profitted 12k.

Ive always wanted to enjoy some time going after sheds but stuff like this makes me think it needs regulated more.

 

[TheTone]

Stop following shed content creators also. Plenty of dorks that could /should be flipping burgers or digging ditches making a living on filming themselves picking up antlers and having sponsors paying them to do so

 

[BGnight]

The selling of shed antlers, should be illegal…..it wouldn’t solve all of the issues, but it would have a significant impact.

I hate to say it, but I agree. Goes against my instincts, but I'd love it if they had a federal ban on the antler market (only if it meant a total repeal of all shed regulations).

 

[bmg2506]

Doesn't it always.

definitely.

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

Since the money will probably match the crime in any of these types of cases would be nice for judges to start getting more creative. Would have liked to have seen 10 weeks of community service with this. One week a year picking up horn for that group. It also keeps him from just doing it somewhere else since he is out picking horn for a good cause. I read awhile back a judge ordered a guy to wear a anklet thru hunting season every year

I like the idea of the community service, especially if it had to be served during the months of March and April. Take this guy out of commission during the peak of shed season.

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

I saw this story posted on the Field and Stream website. I was amazed and saddened by the comments of nearly 50% of the hunters/sportsmen. So many said this wasn’t poaching or a crime, and only reason it was illegal was because the “government wanted its cut.” I guess they figured it’s ok to steal from the Boy Scout troop that normally collects the antlers, and that disturbing elk on their winter range is fine too.

 

[DP_PublicLands]

I saw this story posted on the Field and Stream website. I was amazed and saddened by the comments of nearly 50% of the hunters/sportsmen. So many said this wasn’t poaching or a crime, and only reason it was illegal was because the “government wanted its cut.” I guess they figured it’s ok to steal from the Boy Scout troop that normally collects the antlers, and that disturbing elk on their winter range is fine too.

I saw the same thing and couldn't believe it.

Shed hunting as definitely turned into a case where the demand for the resource has grown past the resource availability. Its absolutely crazy how many people are doing it. And yet - there's still fellas on instagram pulling dozens of horns out every trip - white ones as well. I didn't know white horns existed anymore. I love it and will never stop shed hunting, but the game has definitely changed, and with the pressure to be successful on some of this people we will continue to see this stuff. Even for the guys that aren't breaking the law, there's not enough winter range to go around. How do you fault someone for just doing what you love to do as well?

I miss the old days.

 

[elkduds]

When wildlife is monetized, it is always lose-lose for animals and hunters.