Utard gas worker whacks winter range buck

Oak

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As if gas exploration on winter range wasn't hard enough on the deer.:mad:

Gas worker suspected of poaching

By MIKE WIGGINS The Daily Sentinel
Friday, December 08, 2006

A natural-gas industry worker from Utah has been arrested on charges he illegally killed a buck deer north of Parachute on Thanksgiving, the Colorado Division of Wildlife said.

Joseph L. Chapman, 36, of Provo, was arrested Wednesday and jailed in Garfield County on suspicion of willful destruction of wildlife, hunting out of season and transportation and exportation of wildlife.

The most serious charge, willful destruction of wildlife, is a felony that carries a sentence of one to three years in prison and a $1,000 to $100,000 fine.

DOW spokesman Randy Hampton said people living in the area had been keeping an eye on the buck, which he said had a unique antler configuration [drop tines], and asked a game warden about it after it stopped showing up.

While officers were on the lookout for the deer, the DOW received a confidential tip that Chapman may have poached the deer, Hampton said.

Officers went to the drill rig where Chapman was working Wednesday and talked with him about their investigation. Chapman then admitted he had poached the deer on Thanksgiving morning using a bow and took the antlers to his house in Provo, Hampton said.

The DOW contacted the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which sent an officer to Chapman’s house, where the antlers were located, Hampton said.

The arrest was part of the DOW’s effort to reduce poaching in the growing gas fields of western Colorado.

Hampton said the DOW has stepped up its enforcement of poaching laws after seeing a significant increase in incidents during the 1980s and watching other Western states such as Wyoming deal with their own poaching problems.

He said the agency has worked with energy companies to make it clear the DOW has a zero-tolerance policy on poaching.

He said officers have found that most companies have policies against workers carrying firearms in the fields or hunting or fishing in the fields.

“The cooperation has been good,” Hampton said.

On Wednesday, Dec. 6, Chapman was arrested and transported to the Garfield County Jail on the following charges:

CRS 33-6-117(1)(a) Willful destruction of wildlife. Class 5 Felony. 1-3 years in prison and $1,000-$100,000 fine, if convicted. Hunting and fishing license suspension of one year to lifetime in Colorado and 23 other states.

CRS 33-6-120 Hunting out of season. Misdemeanor. $592 fine. 15 license suspension points.

CRS 33-6-109(1) Illegal possession of wildlife. Misdemeanor. $700 fine. 15 pts.

CRS 33-6-109(3.4)(a) "Samson Surcharge". $10,000 fine.

CRS 33-6-114 Transportation and exportation of wildlife. $50 fine. 5 pts.
 
Read some over at MM about it. Sounds as though it may have been a big buck at that. Roads/development add enough vulnerability to herds, really hurts when they lead to poaching by the workers.
 
This guy has much more than this incident to his name. He has been in a lot of trouble in UT for other felonies, firearms violations, poaching, etc. I will try and keep you guys updated on this lowlife as things progress.
 
The retard just got a slap on the wrist. On the radio this morning, it said they even dropped the Sampson charges:BLEEP:
 
I don't think we can judge yet whether he got slapped on th wrist or not.

Drill rig worker pleads guilty to poaching deer

Donna Gray
February 2, 2007

A drill rig worker pleaded guilty Thursday in 9th District Court to a felony charge for poaching a trophy deer last Thanksgiving. Joseph Chapman, of Provo, Utah, accepted a plea bargain - a plea of guilty in exchange for a reduced charge - from the District Attorney's office that decreased the severity of the charge to a class six felony, willful destruction of wildlife.

His attorney, public defender Garth McCarty, said the agreement with the DA would also mean a sentence of probation for Chapman "and no further jail time."

The amended charge carries a sentencing range of one year to 18 months in prison and a fine of $1,000 to $100,000.

Also as part of the plea bargain, a "Samson" surcharge or additional fine of $10,000 for killing a trophy big game animal was dropped. Samson was a trophy elk that was illegally killed in the Estes Park area in 1996.

After accepting Chapman's plea, Judge Denise Lynch said, "The court is not bound by this (agreement)," and questioned Chapman closely to determine whether he understood the agreement was not binding.

Chapman was originally charged with hunting out of season, illegal possession of wildlife and transportation and exportation of wildlife, all misdemeanors. Those charges were dropped.

According to an arrest affidavit filed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) officer J.T. Romatzke, he received a tip that Chapman had shot a buck frequently seen near the rig he was working on seven miles north of Parachute on Garfield County Road 215.

"With the felony charge we have the ability to hold a hearing and determine what period of time Mr. Chapman's hunting license will be suspended," said DOW spokesman Randy Hampton. "It could run for one year or it could be for the rest of his life and apply in 24 other states."

The felony charge mandates 20 points on Chapman's hunting license "which triggers the administrative hearing process," Hampton said.

DOW was pleased with the plea bargain, he said.

"We were very much in the loop with the DA's office" while the agreement was being forged. Although the Samson fine was dropped, "in reality he pled to something where the fine (could be) more than that," Hampton said. "Our goal was to make sure to get the felony, which would make sure Mr. Chapman won't be hunting for a while."
 
I have yet to see a poacher get the book thrown at him. Those dickheads oughta have their trigger fingers chopped off and a loss of hunting/fishing priveleges for at least 20 years.

I know nobody is perfect, but I see a big line between turds that break the regs during the season somehow and others who blatantly shoot an animal out of season.
 
I really hope they get him for all they can under his plea deal.
 
"His attorney, public defender Garth McCarty, said the agreement with the DA would also mean a sentence of probation for Chapman "and no further jail time."

"Also as part of the plea bargain, a "Samson" surcharge or additional fine of $10,000 for killing a trophy big game animal was dropped. Samson was a trophy elk that was illegally killed in the Estes Park area in 1996".

No $10,000 Sampson fine for a DOUBLE DROP TINE BUCK, no additional jail time, please that is a slap on the wrist.

You have a bunch of double drop tine bucks on the wall?? Me neither and pricks like that make sure we never will.
 
Why not take it to court? He admitted to doing it. They have the dead buck. Tons of people knew about the deers location and had pictures.

What about taking the deer over the state line? isn't that a violation of the Lacy act??
 
Taking it to court costs DOW dollars which could be put to better use. The guy plead guilty to a felony, which I believe affects one's right to possess firearms? He likely won't be allowed to hunt in 25 states for at least 10 years, and he could also end up with a fine totaling more than the Sampson charge that they dropped.

The guy hasn't even been sentenced yet, so I just don't see how we can judge how harsh the punishment is. FWIW, I feel he should be punished harshly, too (I'd probably let him keep his trigger finger, though). IMO, loss of hunting privileges is a more harsh punishment than a $10,000 fine.

"With the felony charge we have the ability to hold a hearing and determine what period of time Mr. Chapman's hunting license will be suspended," said DOW spokesman Randy Hampton. "It could run for one year or it could be for the rest of his life and apply in 24 other states."

The felony charge mandates 20 points on Chapman's hunting license "which triggers the administrative hearing process," Hampton said.

DOW was pleased with the plea bargain, he said.

"We were very much in the loop with the DA's office" while the agreement was being forged. Although the Samson fine was dropped, "in reality he pled to something where the fine (could be) more than that," Hampton said. "Our goal was to make sure to get the felony, which would make sure Mr. Chapman won't be hunting for a while."
 
Loss of hunting privileges would be devasting to someone like you or I. Not to this spanker. Just because this tool lost his privileges doesn't mean he is not going to continue to hunt/poach...........like he has already proven to do.

$10,000 fine to help pay for the court cost and make an example of him.

Can anyone put a price on a buck like that? You could buy $50,000 govenor tags for 10 years and not ever have a crack at a buck like that. $10,000 is not that much.
 
I saw a picture of him a couple of weeks ago. Not sure about score but he's big, with a dropper on each side about 7-9" long.
 
Dinkshooter, still think he got slapped on the wrist?

Gas worker fined $13K for poaching near rig

By MIKE McKIBBIN The Daily Sentinel

Saturday, April 21, 2007

GLENWOOD SPRINGS — A 32-year-old man was ordered to pay nearly $13,000 in fines, placed on probation for four years and lost his big-game hunting privileges in Colorado and other states for the rest of his life for illegally killing a trophy buck near a natural-gas well site outside Parachute.

Joseph Chapman was sentenced by Garfield County District Court Judge Denise Lynch this week, according to a court official, after he previously had pleaded guilty to a charge of willful destruction of wildlife.

Chapman was arrested after the Colorado Division of Wildlife was tipped off that he had shot the deer, which frequently had been seen near a drill-rig site where Chapman was working, seven miles north of Parachute on County Road 215.

The fine included $10,000 for violating Colorado’s so-called “Samson” law, named after a trophy bull elk known by that name that was killed illegally near Estes Park in 1996.


Mike McKibbin can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
 
Sounds like he got what he deserved. Unfortunately the deer is still lost to legal hunters to chase. Hopefully he did a good job of spreading his genes.
 
Good to see another poacher get what he deserved. His fine and loss of hunting privlages still isn't fair compensation to legal hunters IMHO but at least the judge threw the book at him.
 
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