| Show What does poaching cost By John C. C Dickerson Conservation Officer Law enforcement for one reason or another is always a subject of interest to many people Many movies TV shows and books deal with enforcement of one kind or another and people always have their opinions and want to know more Along these lines Conservation officers officers of of- recently visited schools in their districts during Wildlife Week and the question asked most often was What happens if you get caught poaching a adeer adeer adeer deer The answer to that should be of interest to everyone because it is quite a surprise to most people when they learn what the penalty can be A big game violation of this nature Isa is isa isa a Class A misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of 1000 or a year in jail Lets Let's take a hypothetical case where a landowner calls an officer at night and says that someone is spotlighting and nd shooting in his fields and the officer stops the vehicle coming out of the area with a deer in the back The first thing that will happen is the vehicle will be impounded and then the suspect is taken to jail The next morning he will be taken before the Judge where bail will be set quite often this will run as high as 1000 Then there is another later appearance before the same Judge where evidence is presented and if the Judge feels it is sufficient then the subject is bound over to District Court and this action makes makes makes' it mandatory that a lawyer be hired Normally there are several appearances appearances appearances ap ap- ap- ap in District Court If the subject is found guilty then he can be he fined as much as 1000 and receive a jail sentence but the latter is rare There is a possibility the vehicle will be confiscated Again this is rare but it has happened Any firearms or equipment such as spotlights knives etc are normally confiscated too Then there will be a civil suit initiated for the loss of the animal This normally normally nor nor- mally runs about for or a deer but much higher for Cor the more scarce species of big game Again this normally normally nor nor- mally orally requires the services of an at at- torney In one of our recent cases the attorney fees were 2100 If you total all these costs casts up you will see that poaching can be a very expensive expensive expensive ex ex- ex- ex pensive game as many people consider it TUESDAY TUI Y COFFEE COEE Team Standings W lv L C Christensen Diamond 36 20 Distributing 11 35 21 liko Dell Bell 31 25 High Series Jetty Betty Hart lIart Brenda Johnson Guffey Gaffey High Games Betty Hart Ilan Brenda Johnson Bettey lette Guf Guffey Gufey fey YOURS youns MINE l Team Standings W I L Johnson Mot Johnson Mott Swain Swain t-Swain 34 18 Garner Melton Hatch ton bie 32 20 East an 31 21 2 |
