Marking the third conviction under Maryland’s newly-instated anti-poaching laws, a Kent County man was convicted of illegally killing a 17-point buck on his neighbor’s property in September.
District Judge John Nunn III sentenced Ronald Wayne Roe, 28, to pay $5,000 in restitution and perform 80 hours of community service. Additionally, he also received a $500 fine, half of which was suspended, and three years of unsupervised probation.
His hunting privileges were also suspended for 24 months.
It was September 12, when officers received a call about suspected illegal hunting practices involving a very large buck. On the scene, officers uncovered undeniable evidence of foul play, uncovering two piles of bait on one property and a strategically placed tree stand on another.
RELATED: Two Maryland Men Sentenced Under New Anti-Poaching Laws
The bait was placed on Roe’s neighbor Joseph Bogdan’s land, who had been targeting the animal for a number of years leading up to the incident. Remarking that he actually congratulated Roe initially, the relationship went sour after uncovering evidence such as a blood trail and gut pile on his property.
Fabricating a story stating the deer was initially shot on his property, but later died on Bogden’s land, Roe’s tale eventually came unwound. After officials contacted friends who were called by Roe after he killed the deer, they testified that they had helped drag the carcass to his property and later into his vehicle.
A scorer for the Boone and Crockett Club, which measures deer antlers for possible records, said the rack was 212 7/8 total inches. That would have secured the club’s top spot for Maryland crossbow hunters and a top 10 overall state ranking.
