Ohio Poacher fined $23,000 ----197" Typical

[OHbuckeye1]

What a sad way for such a Giant to be killed and this was the guys 10th violation, unbeleivable.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/News/NewsReleaseArchives/tabid/19075/EntryId/1685/Man-Pleads-Guilty-to-Poaching-23-000-Trophy-Buck.aspx

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/hunting/news/story?id=5189119

HIM TELLING HIS (LIE) STOREY ON HOW HE TOOK THE BUCK

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Outdoor-Insights-Game-On/117665872618?ref=ts#!/video/video.php?v=1298319511776

Edited May 23, 2010 by OHbuckeye1

[Tominator]

Wow. Stories like this usually upset me, but this one really upsets me. The audacity of this DA, DB. He's beyond words. How AW's like this can justify acts like this in their minds is beyond me. I'd like to see the state take all of his "trophies" off his wall, throw his **** in jail for a bit and let him think about it for a good long time. Really a violation to everyone that plays by the rules. I can't imagine the rage the landowner must be going through.

What an AF.

[Goinghuntin]

That really ticked me off :angry: I am by no means a trophy hunter, but I do follow all the laws perfectly. He should lose hunting rights in all 50 states, not just possibly in 33

Nathan

[RangerClay]

I'm glad they got him. I hope he gets his restitution in a dark alley.

[wtnhunt]

Interesting the way this turned out. Glad they caught the scumbag poacher. Hope he sees more jailtime on top of the fine too.

[hoosierhunter]

At least he's losing he lifetime hunting rights in 33 states, although it should be a lifetime North American hunting and fishing ban

[Rhino]

Wow. Stories like this usually upset me, but this one really upsets me. The audacity of this DA, DB. He's beyond words. How AW's like this can justify acts like this in their minds is beyond me. I'd like to see the state take all of his "trophies" off his wall, throw his **** in jail for a bit and let him think about it for a good long time. Really a violation to everyone that plays by the rules. I can't imagine the rage the landowner must be going through.

What an AF.

Couldn't have expressed my true feelings better than Chris did here. I only hope there's some way his name gets out to every state so he can't get a license to hunt anywhere ever again!

[ruttinbuc]

Every outdoor website should spread this guys name, face and list of his crimes on the front page. There is a great need to make examples of these outlaws. A violation to everyone who plays by the rules is right...

[ChrisSeb53]

stories like this make me sick... it really is a sad way for such a monarch to go... how could you illegally kill something that magnificent and be proud of what you did?

[Doc]

It's interesting how the outrage grows in proportion to the rack score. I found their "Recovery Value Restitution" kind of interesting in that the value of that particular part of the fine system is related to the Boone and Crockett score. So if the guy had a whole truck-load of does, that part of the system would drop to zero even though a much greater impact to the local herd would have been committed. I'm not sure what should be made of all that, but it is an interesting commentary on how our obsession with rack scores now even gets into the legal system.

Doc

[ruttinbuc]

I thought the same thing, Doc. A deer is a deer and the law should treat them as equal. Just as all poachers should be exposed for what they are. Not just those who poach the giants. There needs to be heavy fines and loss of license for all of these criminals.

[muzzy1]

Man that sucks,thats the deer we all dream of.....

[Shaun_300]

Doc I agree with you 100%. I thought the same thing when I read about the Restitution. I think that part of it is ridiculous. Yeah it's great that this idiot got fined $23,000. But they should have the same penalty for all wildlife related convictions, whether it's a fawn, 200" buck, rabbit, whatever.

Anyway, glad this idiot got what he deserved!!!

[jaret]

Every outdoor website should spread this guys name, face and list of his crimes on the front page. There is a great need to make examples of these outlaws. A violation to everyone who plays by the rules is right...

Not only that, but have a pic of this guy anywhere you can purchase a license.

[suro25]

People like this make me mad... I think he should have gotten more than a fine.The DNR should male examples out of people like that.

[Prairiepredator]

I hate people like that! There is a few bad ones around here...but unfortunately they do not get the consequences they deserve.

[mikebohio]

i get sick when i see a big buck hit by a car let alone some selfish poacher killing one

[Muleyman]

Does he actually think hes a hunter? it just pisses me off when I hear about people like that. They go around bragging and stuff that they get a big deer. Like I dont even know how they can be happy when they shoot something like that. Evertime I would look at it on the wall all I would be able to feel is shame. At least HOPEFULLY when other poachers see this they will reralize what they are doing is wrong and that they would maybe change there ways. Well at least thats all I can hope.

[redkneck]

Doc I agree with you 100%. I thought the same thing when I read about the Restitution. I think that part of it is ridiculous. Yeah it's great that this idiot got fined $23,000. But they should have the same penalty for all wildlife related convictions, whether it's a fawn, 200" buck, rabbit, whatever.

Anyway, glad this idiot got what he deserved!!!

Crap Shaun, 23k for a rabbit! Man if you ever become a judge, I better stay out of your courtroom!

I understand the opinions above for stiff penalties no matter what the animal size or sex, but come on guys, you don't fine someone 20 grand for shooting a doe, and let somebody go home with a DUI a mild $1500 fine. In the end, no matter how despicable he is, it's just a deer, and they are by no means endangered. I think the stiff fine is justified because he has a long history of offenses, but also because the deer itself has a large monetary value to the poacher in the way of contests, sale of the rack, etc.

Just my opinion. Glad he got what he deserved.

[Doc]

I don't think the state should be getting into the business of setting fines according to trophy size. It kind of sends the message that we are not serious about protecting the rest of the herd. It kind of says that it is alright to poach deer as long as the antlers aren't too big.

Yes I do understand the point about the monetary value of a record or near record deer and have to sympathize a bit with that as a criteria for fines. And poaching for profit should carry a steeper fine than other motives but that's where I think it should all stop. One high level of fines for market motivated violations and another tier for other offenses. Yes, market hunting can and does have an extra impact on herds, and really needs to have heavy consequences as deterrent. I just don't like the idea of getting trophyism embedded in our legal system. It cheapens the value on the rest of our wildlife and makes a public statement to that effect.

Doc

[redkneck]

Doc you make some good points. I think this fine was mainly justified because of repeated violations. I don't think a person that takes a deer illegally should be fined thousands of dollars on their first offense, folks do dumb things and most of us have done our share of them. The high score of the deer does raise some new issues though, and I say stick it to somebody that is poaching for profit.

[Rhino]

I for one don't have a problem with the restitution penalty law. Ohio is not the only state that does this. Good or bad, states known for growing big antlered bucks have become targets for scumbags targeting only the big bucks for profit. These scumbags go about killing them any way they can, day or night. There's a big market out there for selling racks. The bigger the rack, the more $ it's worth. It's mostly behind the scenes, black market style but you can go to Ebay and see some for sale. There's virtually no market for small racks.

Several years back I was in Iowa and one of my friends was livid over the number of big bucks that had been killed in the area and the scumbags just cut off their heads and left the rest. I took a short ride with him and saw 5 from the road myself. I talked to him later that winter and around 100 dead bucks with their heads cut off were found in and around his county. Something had to be done to discourage these black market rack poachers. Prior to the next season, Iowa passed a similar restitution law based on gross B&C score.

I know the same thing has been going on in Kansas too. Two years ago 2 scumbags were caught with a bunch of heads. One had bucks stacked up in a shed like cord wood. Didn't hear what their ultimate penalty was.

All the deer are owned by the state where they are located until they are killed within the laws of the state and reduced to possession by a licensed hunter. If a state sees the need to do make laws to protect part of their herd because it's being targeted by rack poachers, I don't see a problem with it. To understand the specific problem some of these states are having, you really need to have a better understanding of what's been going on before they passed these restitution laws.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Rhino

[redkneck]

I had no idea it was so bad up there, but it doesn't surprise me, there's just too much money at play for deer of that caliber. I have no problem with the penalty amount either for bucks that size.

[Ethan Givan]

I for one don't have a problem with the restitution penalty law. Ohio is not the only state that does this. Good or bad, states known for growing big antlered bucks have become targets for scumbags targeting only the big bucks for profit. These scumbags go about killing them any way they can, day or night. There's a big market out there for selling racks. The bigger the rack, the more $ it's worth. It's mostly behind the scenes, black market style but you can go to Ebay and see some for sale. There's virtually no market for small racks.

Several years back I was in Iowa and one of my friends was livid over the number of big bucks that had been killed in the area and the scumbags just cut off their heads and left the rest. I took a short ride with him and saw 5 from the road myself. I talked to him later that winter and around 100 dead bucks with their heads cut off were found in and around his county. Something had to be done to discourage these black market rack poachers. Prior to the next season, Iowa passed a similar restitution law based on gross B&C score.

I know the same thing has been going on in Kansas too. Two years ago 2 scumbags were caught with a bunch of heads. One had bucks stacked up in a shed like cord wood. Didn't hear what their ultimate penalty was.

All the deer are owned by the state where they are located until they are killed within the laws of the state and reduced to possession by a licensed hunter. If a state sees the need to do make laws to protect part of their herd because it's being targeted by rack poachers, I don't see a problem with it. To understand the specific problem some of these states are having, you really need to have a better understanding of what's been going on before they passed these restitution laws.

I agree with what your saying. The bigger the rack the more people should have to pay. However I think the fine for poaching any deer no matter the size should be higher. Honestly $23,000 seems a little low to me for a deer like that. In my opinion it should be atleast $15,000 for any poached deer regardless of size and then add extra for how big the rack is. Then along with the fine throw them in jail for 6 months and take away their hunting priviledges for a few years. I have no mercy for these people.

[redkneck]

I agree with what your saying. The bigger the rack the more people should have to pay. However I think the fine for poaching any deer no matter the size should be higher. Honestly $23,000 seems a little low to me for a deer like that. In my opinion it should be atleast $15,000 for any poached deer regardless of size and then add extra for how big the rack is. Then along with the fine throw them in jail for 6 months and take away their hunting priviledges for a few years. I have no mercy for these people.

Now this is where I disagree. Unless somebody is firing a rifle at night and endangering lives or something, this is excessive. They're just deer, running around in abundance. High scoring bucks are one thing, but if somebody shoots a doe the day before the season, or across a property line, it is insane to want to fine them that kind of money. I'm not condoning that behavior, but just putting it into perspective. We arrest crackheads every day and will never see that kind of time, even on a second offense.