Four men face charges related to poaching of bull elk

[MarkSBG]

I have been dismayed at the number of people I have talked with over the years who regularly "borrow tags" and don't see a problem with it. The cook of the camp (who never hunts) is the first one to fill out his tag every year.

Wrong is wrong.

 

[Trlsmn]

I have been dismayed at the number of people I have talked with over the years who regularly "borrow tags" and don't see a problem with it. The cook of the camp (who never hunts) is the first one to fill out his tag every year.

Wrong is wrong.

That is SOP even for people that think they are law abiding. There are laws in place to penalize this practice. If you have filled your tag and are continuing to hunt for the rest of your party you can be ticketed for hunting without a license.

 

[MarkSBG]

Unfortunately, I think you are right about how widespread it is...

 

[safooma]

Sentencing was handed down today:

Taken from <broken link removed>

JOHN ATWATER pled guilty to:
* Four (4) counts of Unlawful Take of Bull Elk
* Two (2) counts of Hunting on the Enclosed Lands of Another
* Two (2) counts of Borrowing a Big Game Tag
He was sentenced to:
* Forty (40) days in the Lane County Jail
* 24 months probation
* Ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to ODFW
* $6,674 fine
* Ordered to forfeit his rifle
* Lifetime suspension of hunting privileges

DUSTIN ATWATER, age 26, pled guilty to:
* Aiding in Game Violation
* Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree
He was sentenced to:
* Fifteen (15) days in the Lane County Jail
* 18 months probation
* Ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to ODFW
* $892 fine
* 48 month hunting license suspension

DAVID PRUITT, age 78, pled guilty to:
* Aiding in Game Violation
* Loaning Big Game Tag
* Hunting while in violation of Criminal Trespass
He was sentenced to:
* 24 months probation
* Ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to ODFW
* $2,304 fine
* Complete 100 hours of community service
* 36 month hunting license suspension

HOMER RHODES, age 74, pled guilty to:
* Two (2) counts of Aiding in Game Violation
* Loaning Big Game Tag
He was sentenced to:
* 24 months probation
* Ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to ODFW
* Complete 60 hours of community service

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS, age 35, pled guilty to:
* Aiding in Game Violation
He was sentenced to:
* 24 months probation
* Ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to ODFW
* $1,202 fine
* Complete 160 hours of community service
* 36 month hunting license suspension

BRYAN SHEPARD, age not available, pled guilty to:
* Aiding in Game Violation
He was sentenced to:
* 24 months probation
* Complete 100 hours of community service
* 24 month hunting license suspension

BTW, I know this guy and he isn't as bad a guy as you would think. He had permission to hunt on the property and thought he had only shot one elk--he thought he had missed the one elk twice before bringing it down--turns out it was four that were standing next to each other. The first two both dropped on the first shots and the third shot killed 2. These were long shots(300ish yards).

The rest of it was all bad decisions...trying to get find others to tag the extra kills, once discovered, and the elks were actually on the next property over--not the two he had permission to hunt. The fact that it wasn't season yet--he says he thought it was cascade bull elk centerfire season(listed as oct17-oct23). I just turns out he wasnt in an appropriate unit. Understood this is not an excuse.

Don't get me wrong, I am not defending this guy, just offering a bit of the other side of the story. He screwed up and is paying a heavy toll--i just hope he doesn't lose his livelyhood over it. He wasn't purposely poaching these animals, just being a moron ;-)

 

[lcb97269]

just driving for bank robbery.?

 

[John316]

There are no innocent people in this story except the landowner and the authorities. You don't loan your tag, you don't drive with people you don't know or trust, you don't hang out places where illegal things are happening, you're not just in the wrong place at the wrong time with guns blazing.

 

[Buddhalux]

In a perfect world under perfect conditions that MAY be true.

Reality is a completely different story though.

 

[John316]

Using discernment we should be able to avoid situations that are illegal. If you're not sure if what you're doing is illegal, why do it at all? Where's the big payoff? If you're hanging around with people that have a habit of "bending the rules" you should know that's going to eventually ensnare you in their plottings. "We can hide this fish in the cooler under the beer". From what I remember of the poaching story the guy shot several elk thinking they were all the same one. Let me think, a 4 point bull looks like a 6 point bull...hmmm... I didn't see any of them drop when I shot..hmmm... Then I go looking for tags because I don't want to waste the meat...hmmm... How about this? Guy gets excited, shoots several elk, goes looking for tags, people loan him the tags, everyone's in trouble. Pretty straight forward. I may sound like a boyscout, but why not call the state police and say whoops, sorry, my mistake and pay the consequences for the ridiculous judgment. That would show real character, which obviously is lacking here, These actions were juvenile, self-serving, immature, irresponsible, illegal, unsportsmanlike. I wouldn't defend anyone in this case. Shooting four elk is illegal, period. We are responsible for our actions, or SHOULD be.

 

[speelyei]

John316 speaks the truth