Singer Dunn Testifies in Wildlife Case


huntinsonovagun

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Heard about this on the radio. Surprized someone else hasn't posted it yet. I heard he (Dunn) isn't being charged with anything, but is only testifying.

nyet119_people_dunn.sff.jpg

Wed Jan 05, 3:23 PM ET

Country music star Ronnie Dunn testified that he killed a 12-point buck while hunting with an Indiana farmer on trial for allegedly violating wildlife laws.

Dunn, of the country duo Brooks & Dunn, said in court Tuesday that the trip to Russell G. Bellar's farm in fall 2002 was his first hunting experience.

Bellar pointed out the buck to him, said Dunn, who then used a rifle to kill the animal. Dunn said he never obtained a state deer hunting license.

"I was told (Bellar's Place) was a private facility and like a ranch," Dunn said. The singer said he hadn't been told by investigators that he had committed illegal acts.

Dunn said Bellar asked his permission to include his image on a brochure promoting the deer farm some 60 miles south of South Bend.

Bellar has pleaded not guilty to 39 charges, including that he facilitated the illegal killing of wildlife. He is accused of violating the federal Lacey Act, which prohibits the interstate transport and sale of wildlife taken in violation of state laws. Indiana outlaws the sale of deer for hunting purposes and bans the use of bait, snares and certain weapons.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Schmid presented as evidence the mounted head of Dunn's buck as well as the nine-point head of a buck shot by Dunn's 17-year-old son.

Bellar's former property manager testified Monday that the farm owner charged hunters $4,000 to $20,000 per buck.

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Re: Singer Dunn Testifies in Wildlife Case

Trial set in hunting of drugged deer

Associated Press

January 2, 2005

The owner of a north-central Indiana deer hunting operation where unlicensed hunters allegedly paid thousands of dollars to shoot drugged deer is preparing for trial on charges he violated state and federal hunting regulations.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday in U.S. District Court in South Bend for the trial of Russell G. Bellar, owner of Bellar's Place, and his property manager, Hinds Tom Jones of Edwards, Miss.

The men were indicted in July on more than 30 felony violations of the federal Lacey Act, which prohibits the transport and sale in interstate commerce of wildlife taken in violation of state laws.

Bellar and Jones are accused of illegally selling and transporting wildlife across state lines, facilitating the illegal killing and transportation of wildlife -- and knowingly providing false information to federal agents.

On his 1,500-acre fenced property near the city of Peru, Bellar operates a game-breeding facility under Indiana license that allows him to keep deer in captivity, and to buy and sell deer for breeding.

But it prohibits him from selling deer for hunting because Indiana law forbids the sale of specific deer for hunting.

According to the indictment, Bellar's Place was the site of more than 50 illegal hunts over three years. In his promotional materials, Bellar listed past celebrity clients, including Ronnie Dunn of the country music duo Brooks and Dunn and professional fisherman and TV host Jimmy Houston.

The trial is expected to last at least two weeks, and some well-known people, including -- Dunn or Houston -- could be called to testify. Other witnesses likely to testify include the federal agents who booked hunts.

Indiana law requires a license to hunt white-tailed deer in a season that extends from early October to early January.

In keeping with the ethic of "fair chase," state law bans the use of bait, snares, salt, dogs or other domesticated animals to aid in taking deer, the Department of Natural Resources said.

At issue in the case is whether Bellar and Jones violated several laws, including the use of illegal firearms, crossbows, hunting deer without a license, failure to wear fluorescent orange clothing and using bait.

Bellar's advertising offered "guided hunts" and ensured a "trophy buck." He is accused of setting prices on specific bucks ranging from $4,000 to more than $20,000 per buck, the indictment said.

The pair is also accused of drugging deer to measure and score their antler racks before hunts, and then moving the drugged deer into small fenced-in enclosures so they could be hunted in those pens.

If Bellar is convicted, the government may seek forfeiture of the property, he said Lt. Col. Jeff Wells of the DNR's law enforcement division.

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Guest KSNimrod

Re: Singer Dunn Testifies in Wildlife Case

That's too bad. Sounds like a bad first "hunting" experience. So who's the genius that said, "Hey Ronnie, you want to go hunting at my buddies farm?"?

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  • 14 years later...

Ronnie Dunn Country “Superstar” took part in an event where he killed a drugged deer and the jerk posed with the poor murdered deer. Mr. Dunn used a high-powered rifle to shoot a drugged deer inside a penned area. This guy is a complete bag of trash. PETA needs to eat him for dinner. I WILL NEVER GUY a ANYTHING ASSOCIATED THIS LOSER!!

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12 minutes ago, Ksr said:

Ronnie Dunn Country “Superstar” took part in an event where he killed a drugged deer and the jerk posed with the poor murdered deer. Mr. Dunn used a high-powered rifle to shoot a drugged deer inside a penned area. This guy is a complete bag of trash. PETA needs to eat him for dinner. I WILL NEVER  BUY ANYTHING ASSOCIATED THIS LOSER!! How could he not know the deer was drugged and confined by a fence? Not the brightest tool in the shed clearly. Is he blind?? I call bulls**t that he did not know how this was set up. He’s not a naive schoolboy. Give me a break!! I hope KARMA comes 10 fold against him!!

 

12 minutes ago, Ksr said:

 

 

Edited by Ksr
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On 1/6/2005 at 8:41 PM, huntinsonovagun said:

Heard about this on the radio. Surprized someone else hasn't posted it yet. I heard he (Dunn) isn't being charged with anything, but is only testifying.

nyet119_people_dunn.sff.jpg

Wed Jan 05, 3:23 PM ET

Country music star Ronnie Dunn testified that he killed a 12-point buck while hunting with an Indiana farmer on trial for allegedly violating wildlife laws.

Dunn, of the country duo Brooks & Dunn, said in court Tuesday that the trip to Russell G. Bellar's farm in fall 2002 was his first hunting experience.

Bellar pointed out the buck to him, said Dunn, who then used a rifle to kill the animal. Dunn said he never obtained a state deer hunting license.

"I was told (Bellar's Place) was a private facility and like a ranch," Dunn said. The singer said he hadn't been told by investigators that he had committed illegal acts.

Dunn said Bellar asked his permission to include his image on a brochure promoting the deer farm some 60 miles south of South Bend.

Bellar has pleaded not guilty to 39 charges, including that he facilitated the illegal killing of wildlife. He is accused of violating the federal Lacey Act, which prohibits the interstate transport and sale of wildlife taken in violation of state laws. Indiana outlaws the sale of deer for hunting purposes and bans the use of bait, snares and certain weapons.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Schmid presented as evidence the mounted head of Dunn's buck as well as the nine-point head of a buck shot by Dunn's 17-year-old son.

Bellar's former property manager testified Monday that the farm owner charged hunters $4,000 to $20,000 per buck.

How could Ronnie Dunn use the sad excuse that he did not know the deer was drugged? Perhaps the deer just standing there wobbling around loaded was not a clear indicator to this super loser. He knew what he was doing and did not think he would get caught. What a complete waste of skin. 

Edited by Ksr
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