According to Boone & Crockett’s Poach and Pay research project, only four percent of poaching incidents are detected nationwide. This results in $1.44 billion in uncollected fines and replacement costs each year. The study examines many states, including Kentucky. In an 11-year period, the Bluegrass state cites using the minimum fees and restitution. This led to an estimated $1.1 million in detected fish and wildlife violations. The bulk of this windfall ($864,778) is tied to poaching. However, only 12.5% was recovered in fines and restitution.
Poaching – Plainly Stated is Theft
One of the most recent high-profile poaching cases is the CJ Alexander’s Ohio buck. Alexander claimed he killed a giant 235 7/8 inch whitetail buck on his sister’s property. In fact, he shot it on a property he did not have permission to hunt. He and several accomplices then staged the deer on his sister’s property. Alexander then spun a tale of how he harvested the deer to profit and mislead investigators.
Alexander’s buck brought him instant notoriety and, as with every world-class buck, scrutiny. He sold exclusive rights to his story. He was working on a promotional deal and finally sold the antlers to an antler collector, totaling more than $20,000.
Confession
Ultimately, Alexander finally confessed to ODNR officials about the poaching of this deer; however, he continued to go on hunting podcasts. He stuck to his original story.
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Alexander was indicted on 23 criminal charges in association with the illegal harvesting of this deer and other deer. He pleaded guilty to 14 charges. Alexander served 120 days in jail and was hit with fines amounting to more than $43,000. The ODNR confiscated the deer and revoked his hunting privileges for 10 years. And, following the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, he has also lost hunting rights in every state in the U.S.
State of Ohio
The state of Ohio takes wildlife poaching very seriously and has a restitution formula.
In addition to any restitution value established in division rule, a person who is rule governing the holding, taking, buying, sale, or possession of an antlered white-tailed deer with a gross score of more than one hundred twenty-five inches also shall pay an additional restitution value that is calculated using the following formula: Additional restitution value = (gross score – 100)² x $1.65).
Unfortunately, most states do not have such laws.
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Poach and Pay
The ongoing Poach & Pay research program aims to understand the mindset of a poacher. It seeks to determine why a person chooses to poach and what motivates them. Additionally, it questions why so many states give wildlife crimes such low priority, as well as many more questions.
Another state that does not go easy on poachers is Idaho, as one man found out.
Karl Studer, an electrical Co-op executive, pleaded guilty to illegally killing a bull moose. This was part of a plea bargain of seven felony charges, including conspiracy and multiple counts of unlawful killing, possessing, or wasting wildlife.
Studer received a lifetime hunting ban as well as $180,000 in fines and restitution.
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“Karl Studer is an arrogant man who has stolen from Idaho’s precious resources in a very inhumane and undignified way,” prosecutor Jethelyn Harrington of Twin Falls, ID, told the court during sentencing. “His blatant disregard and lack of respect for other hunters in Idaho is full-scale cheating, breaking rules that everyone else has to follow.”
While many poachers are looking for a “trophy” or notoriety, others are just mean, with blatant disregard for all game.
Poachers are Neither Hunters Nor Conservationists.
The case of a Wisconsin woman, Jessica Kroening, 36, her 16-year-old son, and two of his friends, all minors at the time, were charged in a poaching ring. This involved Kroening using a spotlight to locate deer and shoot them. Kroening admitted to holding the light from the rear window so her son could shoot deer. Officials claimed they would shoot the deer and sometimes cut the heads off the bucks. Some of these heads were found in Kroening’s backyard after neighbors complained of foul odors. This led game and fish officials to the Kroening residence. Kroening claimed she couldn’t smell anything during initial questioning. One of the boys admitted the poaching ring had been operating for at least a year. It was estimated that more than 100 deer were killed by this ring of poachers.
Kroening was sentenced to 30 days in jail and $1000 fine for her role in the poaching spree.
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The minors were charged with multiple offenses, including discharging a firearm from a motorized vehicle. They were also charged with hunting within 50 feet of a road’s center and using ammunition not reasonably capable of killing a deer. Each of these charges carries a $20 to $60 fine.
Poaching
While not trophy bucks, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
According to Boone and Crockett Club Chief of Staff, Tony Schoonen, “Hunters tell us they want a set of uniform guidelines to ensure punishments are equal to the value we place on our wildlife resources.”
I am in complete agreement.
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For more info, please visit Boone and Crockett
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