Poacher fined $2500 in Sundre

[Sundancefisher]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/technol...331/story.html


Hunter fined $2,500 for firing at decoy
By Dan Singleton, For The Herald February 8, 2012 3:20 AM SUNDRE .

A 63-year-old man who shot at a deer decoy set up by Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers west of Sundre in November has been fined more than $2,000.

On Nov. 14 Ronald Renton got out of a vehicle on a road west of Sundre and fired a rifle at the mule deer decoy, court heard.

Renton did not have a licence to hunt mule deer.

Commissioner John Szekeres fined Renton, 63, a total of $2,500.

Szekeres also handed Renton a one-year hunting licence suspension.
****************************

Shows on TV where they show hunting decoys are pretty entertaining.

"Geeze Bob...looky thar. That deer is just beggin to be shooted." Bam...Bam.

"I think ya misted Earl...shoot again"...BOOM BOOM.

Fish cop radio "Holy crap...move in...MOVE IN before there is nothing left of the decoy"

That is one tough deer Earl. Maybe my sights are off?

[nemo]

Is that all! I would think stiffer fines might be in order. How many times does someone this brazen get away with it before he's caught?

[Scotty P.]

Good to See they caught him and that they are still using the decoy. From the F&W officers I've spoke with out there have told me it's very effective.

[264winnmag]

There is another post on here about a land owner who shot a grizzly, that was gonna turn his horse into a easy meal, that land owner was fined $7500.
This JERK-*ff goes out of his way, on this day hunting sees a mule deer, is he to old to tell the difference, hasn't had his eyes checked in awhile, or maybe he's done this kind of thing for the last 50 years or so and this is the only time he got caught ??????????
As far as i'm concerned there should be another zero tacked onto the back of his $2500 fine, and he shouldn't be allowed to hunt for five years, and pass a physical.

[1899b]

There has never been any sort of consistancy in our judicial sysytem whatsoever. From drinking and driving crimes to poaching. The whole system is a sham.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by 264winnmag

There is another post on here about a land owner who shot a grizzly, that was gonna turn his horse into a easy meal, that land owner was fined $7500.
This JERK-*ff goes out of his way, on this day hunting sees a mule deer, is he to old to tell the difference, hasn't had his eyes checked in awhile, or maybe he's done this kind of thing for the last 50 years or so and this is the only time he got caught ??????????
As far as i'm concerned there should be another zero tacked onto the back of his $2500 fine, and he shouldn't be allowed to hunt for five years, and pass a physical.

Simple explanation....grizzly is a mystical beast that can do no wrong, only 60 left right?

Mule deer are a dime a dozen....ask anyone drawn last year....

The price tag on a grizz is simply more than a mulie.

LC

[Rancid Crabtree]

Ya the grizzly bears have a much stronger lobby group than the mule deer.

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Simple explanation....grizzly is a mystical beast that can do no wrong, only 60 left

59.............

[chasingtail]

I can't believe it even made the news. Another guy in Sundre got a $2000 fine for having a loaded firearm on his tail gate, whoop-te-do.

[bucktaker]

so was that fine for not having a licence to hunt mule deer? Shooting from road? or both? What would the individual fines be?

[mhd]

[QUOTE=264winnmag;1293327]There is another post on here about a land owner who shot a grizzly, that was gonna turn his horse into a easy meal, that land owner was fined $7500.
This JERK-*ff goes out of his way, on this day hunting sees a mule deer, is he to old to tell the difference, hasn't had his eyes checked in awhile, or maybe he's done this kind of thing for the last 50 years or so and this is the only time he got caught ??????????
As far as i'm concerned there should be another zero tacked onto the back of his $2500 fine, and he shouldn't be allowed to hunt for five years, and pass a physical.[/

x2

[Tatonka]

I understand what everyone is saying, but when someone is fined $2500 for shooting from the road and someone else gets a far lesser fine/penalty for driving while drunk, beating their spouse, etc. something is wrong..... Friends of mine have had this discussion before......shoot a duck illegally and you are the scum of the earth......you'll get off easier if you shoot your neighbor.

I can understand the "Fish Cops" setting up a decoy in areas where there are cattle, close to homes, etc. but we have them set up around here out in the middle of nowhere.... With the poaching rings around, outfitters doing business without a license, etc. I think the "Fish Cops" can find better things to do...

I came up on a decoy a couple years ago and thought I'd take a couple pictures of it (it was a whitetail buck decoy), so I got my camera out and starting clicking away... Pretty soon this guy stands up from behind a pile of rocks and started yelling at me....told me to get to H*ll out of there, that he'd better not see any of the photos floating around the internet, etc... He was totally rude and obnoxious so I reported him into his supervisor who did nothing but defend his actions... So, I contacted the head of Law Enforcement for the Montana Fish and Game in Helena and he investigated... To make a long story short, this sorry excuse for a law enforcement officer is no longer working in this area.... Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but respect for the department and the work they do....it's not an easy job and can be dangerous at times, but this guy was totally out of line.........some of them forget that the vast majority of us are law abiding citizens and that we are the ones paying their wages.... Fortunately, Fish Cops like this are the exception to the rule......

[fish gunner]

2500$seem's reasonable, not knowing the old boys history if this is his first infraction.if the farmer that shot the grizzly,killed the bear as his first action. then that fine also seems reasonable.I f the old fellow had a history of infractions and the farmer had taken every avenue at his disposal then the fines are out of whack..

[densa44]

In Albert county NB my uncle showed me how to handle poachers/jack lighters. He and I nailed a bag of those 1" sized reflectors that kids used to put on mud guards on the back of their bikes, to trees in an old apple orchard.

Next year when we returned to fish, we checked out the orchard, the trees were riddled with holes, and we assumed that any live animal would have been given a good chance to escape the gun fire.

I wouldn't have the guts to carry a deer decoy around near Sundre!

[Rocky7]

Originally Posted by Tatonka

I can understand the "Fish Cops" setting up a decoy in areas where there are cattle, close to homes, etc. but we have them set up around here out in the middle of nowhere.... With the poaching rings around, outfitters doing business without a license, etc. I think the "Fish Cops" can find better things to do.......

I guess it's easier to pick low-hanging fruit than go after the tougher convictions.

Still, the fact that this guy was blazing away at a fake deer makes me a little more queasy than the rest of the story. Maybe he thought it was sleeping?

[CNP]

Originally Posted by 264winnmag

There is another post on here about a land owner who shot a grizzly, that was gonna turn his horse into a easy meal, that land owner was fined $7500.
This JERK-*ff goes out of his way, on this day hunting sees a mule deer, is he to old to tell the difference, hasn't had his eyes checked in awhile, or maybe he's done this kind of thing for the last 50 years or so and this is the only time he got caught ??????????
As far as i'm concerned there should be another zero tacked onto the back of his $2500 fine, and he shouldn't be allowed to hunt for five years, and pass a physical.

Stopped going to your anger management class?

You turned this petty crime into a personal age discrimination rant....lets see.....he's:

too old;
needs eyes checked;
maybe got away with it for the last 50 years; and
needs a physical (what?)

That's quite a diagnosis................ from an interweb judge.

63 ain't old fella.

[JimPS]

Originally Posted by Rocky7

I guess it's easier to pick low-hanging fruit than go after the tougher convictions.

Still, the fact that this guy was blazing away at a fake deer makes me a little more queasy than the rest of the story. Maybe he thought it was sleeping?

63 years old - some guys just never learn. At least the article says "he got out of the vehicle" - so he wasn't all that drunk, senile or out of shape.

I'm sure the grand kids and grandma are real proud of the old boy and his buds are all pi**in' themselves laughing at the goofball.

$2500 beans is a few pension or welfare checks.

Jim

[TRAPPER92]

I think the fine should reflect his past history. If this was his first offense I think the fine is ridiculous, same as the fine for the grizzly bear. Why wait for it to kill your horse, then it would be to late.
I got nailed for shooting a calf moose for a 76 year old friend a few years back. It was my first offense and I got $1200 plus a one year suspension, I took full responsibility for my actions and was cooperative with the officer. In fact we got along quite well after that.
If he got a big fine there was probably more to the story...

[GeoTrekr]

Originally Posted by densa44

In Albert county NB my uncle showed me how to handle poachers/jack lighters. He and I nailed a bag of those 1" sized reflectors that kids used to put on mud guards on the back of their bikes, to trees in an old apple orchard.

Next year when we returned to fish, we checked out the orchard, the trees were riddled with holes, and we assumed that any live animal would have been given a good chance to escape the gun fire.

I wouldn't have the guts to carry a deer decoy around near Sundre!

Wow, that's disturbing. Just as stupid as the guys that shoot at a noise, at a glimpse of movement, etc.