Dayton's poaching crackdown

[Lee Borgersen]

  Gov. Mark Dayton wants to increase penalties for poaching.
 
 
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Poachers could face stiffer penalties under a proposal brought forward last week by Gov. Mark Dayton last week. The proposal is expected to be addressed by the state Legislature this session.

At the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Annual Roundtable last week, Dayton reiterated his push to enact more stringent penalties for those who intentionally violate the state’s hunting and fishing laws. Dayton is a life-long hunter and angler.

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The governor’s push for tougher poaching penalties comes in the wake of numerous high-profile instances of illegal poaching activity in Minnesota. By enacting more severe consequences for these crimes, Dayton and DNR officials hope to deter illegal poaching, and ensure these criminal acts are properly and thoroughly punished.

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“The recently reported instances of wanton and wasteful poaching in Minnesota should offend the sensibilities of all ethical and law-abiding hunters and anglers,” Dayton said in a news release. “They are shameful criminal acts, and they should be treated as serious offenses by Minnesota laws. I ask our state's sportsmen and sportswomen to join me in urging the legislature to increase the penalties for these disgusting abuses.”

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Dayton’s poaching reform proposal would enact stiffer criminal penalties and longer license revocations for anyone who unlawfully takes and possesses significant numbers of wild animals. The governor’s proposal would establish a new felony-level penalty for poaching, and revoke game and fish licenses and privileges for a period of up to ten years. Current law only includes up to a gross misdemeanor penalty for poaching and license revocations of up to only five years.

“Gross over-limit violations are not accidental,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “The reforms being championed by Governor Dayton reflect the values of responsible Minnesota hunters and anglers. This proposal would enact strong and appropriate penalties for those who intentionally disregard the ethical and legal boundaries of hunting and fishing in Minnesota.”

Minnesota’s game and fish laws are intended to balance and maintain healthy populations of wild animals, recreational hunting and fishing opportunities, and sustainable commercial uses – now and for future generations. Under the governor’s proposal, the felony penalty for poaching would apply to individuals who unlawfully take animals above a restitution value of $2,000. Gross over-limit penalty thresholds are based on the wildlife restitution values set in law, which include:

Four or more deer
Two or more trophy deer
Five or more bears or turkeys
Forty or more ducks, geese, pheasant, grouse, or salmon
Sixty-seven or more walleye or northern pike
Recent instances

Several egregious instances of illegal poaching have surfaced in the last several months, highlighting the need to enact stricter penalties to deter this criminal activity and safeguard wild game in Minnesota.

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Gross over limit of crappies – In May 2015, a DNR conservation officer checked three people fishing on a lake in Wright County. One person admitted to having their limit of 30 crappies while a second individual attempted to hide a bucket from the officer. The officer inspected the bucket and found one crappie. This put the suspects one crappie over the limit, but they admitted to having more crappies in a freezer at home. A thorough investigation was completed and two people were found to have a combined 449 crappies over their limit. The fish were seized and two suspects were charged with taking an over limit of crappies. The restitution value for a crappie is $5, bringing the total restitution value to $2,245.
28 sets of antlers seized in deer poaching case – In January 2014, the DNR seized 28 sets of antlers in a deer poaching investigation in Dawson, Minnesota. The antlers included 11 shoulder mounts, most of which were trophy class animals. Also seized were four sets of elk antlers and a set of mule deer antlers. In a freezer, officers also discovered a fully intact piebald deer, which was untagged and had been killed with a high-powered rifle. DNR officers also seized a freshly-killed eight-point whitetail buck, which investigators determined had been killed with a high-powered rifle. Suspects in the poaching case were charged with gross misdemeanors for transporting illegally taken big game, use of an artificial light to take deer, hunting during prohibited times, trespassing, and failure to register deer. Complaints from the public through the Turn In Poachers hotline helped DNR officer uncover the scheme and press charges.
Multiple trophy deer illegally taken in Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge - In November 2014, a DNR conservation officer observed two people entering a wildlife refuge with a two wheeled deer cart. After questioning, it was discovered an untagged buck was moved illegally from the kill site. The suspect was in possession of multiple deer tags, none of the tags actually belonging to the suspect. After a thorough investigation, the suspect admitted to harvesting and transporting 13 deer illegally from the wildlife refuge and the Sand Dunes State Forest. The suspect pleaded guilty to two counts of transporting illegally taken big game and two counts of soliciting/borrowing the big game license of another person.
Two rare bull elk killed in northwestern Minnesota – In 2013, two bull elk were illegally shot and killed near Grygla. The elk were killed by poachers in an area that holds Minnesota’s smallest elk herd – an area that has been closed to hunting since 2012. According to the DNR, these bulls represented approximately 10 percent of the known Grygla elk herd. Anyone with information about the illegal shooting of the two bulls in the fall 2013, is urged to call the 24-hour, toll-free Turn In Poachers hotline. The DNR is offering a $2,000 restitution value for each elk.
TIP

Minnesota’s “Turn In Poachers” program was formed in 1981 by concerned citizens who wanted to stop the illegal harvest of game and fish in Minnesota. TIP operates a 24-hour, toll-free hotline (800-652-9093) that Minnesotans can call to lodge complaints against suspected poachers. Cell phone users can also dial #TIP to file a complaint. The information and the person reporting poaching activity can be kept confidential. Those reporting violations are asked to obtain as much information as possible, and to report all violations as soon as possible. If an arrest is initiated, the person reporting the violation may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000, depending upon the seriousness of the crime.


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