http://www.ketv.com/news/16341254/detail.html
Nebraska Man Gets Home Detention For Illegal Hunting
POSTED: 2:16 pm CDT May 20, 2008
UPDATED: 2:23 pm CDT May 20, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. -- A 56-year-old Crab Orchard man has been sentenced to a year of home curfew for the
unlawful killing of two turkeys. Paul Payton was sentenced in federal court to 12 months of home curfew, similar to home detention, and five years of
probation. He pleaded guilty in February to violation of federal game laws. Payton is prohibited from hunting, guiding, outfitting or helping in those
activities while on probation.
Payton and his co-defendant, Kent Hippen, have also been ordered to reimburse the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the cost of the investigation.
In lieu of that, Payton is to make a $15,000 contribution to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and a $5,000 contribution to Nebraska Raptor Recovery.
....you know, this is why I don't like to watch the news anymore. The rest of my day will now be ruined stewing over this. Now don't get me wrong, I am NOT condoning poaching, wreckless or wasteful hunting practices, inhumane treatment of animals, or the violation of Turkey's rights. But as far as I can tell from this article, some poor guy is screwed for the next 6 years of his life, AND out $20,000, yes TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS for bagging his own dinner. Well, apparently dinner for him and his buddy, too. Now, I live out in the country, so I got to thinking maybe some of you city folks might not realize this, but there are turkeys freakin' everywhere out here. You can't swing a poached ferral cat by the tail around here and not hit a danged turkey. I might go so far as to say turkeys are running amuck out here in the sticks. If you dont' believe me, you don't have to drive all the way out here, just go to your local supermarket and look in the freezer section. I'm laying odds that you will find dead turkeys there. Trust me, there is no turkey shortage.
Again, I don't know the whole story here, but how on earth can you justify an investigation by the Wildlife Service and criminal charges resulting in one year of home curfew with lifestyle restrictions, five years of probation with lifestyle restrictions, and a $20,000 fine for harvesting a couple of turkeys? As far as I am concerned, if they wanted a turkey dinner, they did our planet a favor by saving the gas it would have taken to go to the grocery store.
I wonder what the penalty is for a punk teenage kid in North Omaha running around with his gang banger friends with an illegally pocessed Raven .25acp or a Hi-point 9mm? And we PAY THEM for their dinners.
Sorry to rant, agree with me or not, I just had to vent.
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....you know, this is why I don't like to watch the news anymore. The rest of my day will now be ruined stewing over this. Now don't get me wrong, I am NOT condoning poaching, wreckless or wasteful hunting practices, inhumane treatment of animals, or the violation of Turkey's rights. But as far as I can tell from this article, some poor guy is screwed for the next 6 years of his life, AND out $20,000, yes TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS for bagging his own dinner. Well, apparently dinner for him and his buddy, too. Now, I live out in the country, so I got to thinking maybe some of you city folks might not realize this, but there are turkeys freakin' everywhere out here. You can't swing a poached ferral cat by the tail around here and not hit a danged turkey. I might go so far as to say turkeys are running amuck out here in the sticks. If you dont' believe me, you don't have to drive all the way out here, just go to your local supermarket and look in the freezer section. I'm laying odds that you will find dead turkeys there. Trust me, there is no turkey shortage.
Again, I don't know the whole story here, but how on earth can you justify an investigation by the Wildlife Service and criminal charges resulting in one year of home curfew with lifestyle restrictions, five years of probation with lifestyle restrictions, and a $20,000 fine for harvesting a couple of turkeys? As far as I am concerned, if they wanted a turkey dinner, they did our planet a favor by saving the gas it would have taken to go to the grocery store.
I wonder what the penalty is for a punk teenage kid in North Omaha running around with his gang banger friends with an illegally pocessed Raven .25acp or a Hi-point 9mm? And we PAY THEM for their dinners.
Sorry to rant, agree with me or not, I just had to vent.
