Charges stemming from a three-year legal battle have finally come to fruition in a historic poaching case coming out of South Dakota.
The investigation, which dates back to 2020, was kicked off when state conservation officers were tipped off about a number of dead deer found in Potter County. Located in central South Dakota, the reports carried a certain sense of peculiarity to them as all of the animals were found during the late summer months, well ahead of scheduled hunting seasons.
While the accused has not yet been named, a release from South Dakota’s Turn in Poachers (TIPs) last week confirmed that the multi-years investigation had finally culminated in a slew of charges.
“Over the course of the investigation, it was found that at least 12 deer were killed throughout all times of year, without proper licensing and no regard to laws in Potter County,” the agency said.
While the death of a dozen illegally killed deer is enough to get any law-abiding outdoorsmen all hot and bothered, it gets worse. According to the investigation, the phone records obtained by investigators contained a video of the accused poacher attempting to affix ear tags to a pair of live whitetail bucks that he had tied to the hitch of his truck. While his motives behind that incident remain unclear, it is undoubtedly illegal to capture live deer in the state of South Dakota and even if was a budding deer farmer, he was without the proper permit required to operate such a facility.
Other photographs on the phone included a grip and grin of him and buck that was clearly taken during the night and outside of legal hunting seasons.
In addition to the 12 poached deer, officers recovered 55 deadheads at the residence of the accused, which are illegal to possess unless authorized by state officials.
The ruling was made official back in December when the defendant pled guilty to 12 Class 1 misdemeanors for hunting or taking big game during nighttime, closed season, or without a license in violation of 41-8-2, 41-8-18, and 22-3-3, all class 1 misdemeanors carrying a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a two thousand dollar fine.
On December 19th, 2023, the defendant was sentenced to the following: $24,000 civil fines ($2,000 per count), $6,000 criminal fines ($500 per count), $1,158 court costs ($96.50 per count). He was also sentenced to four years in jail, all suspended but 30 days, has had his hunting privileges revoked for 8 years and forfeited all of the firearms deemed to have been involved in the crimes.
Images: South Dakota Turn In Poachers
