‘Thrill kill’ gets ban for teens
If you ask me these kids got off to easy. It is a travesty that they got off with just a fine and community service. I personally feel that is nothing but a joke. It went easy for them because they were teenagers and that is not right, after all what are they going to learn from this but absolutely nothing. The book should have been thrown at them and then their privalege to hunt should have been taken away for life (In my opinion). Kind of makes you feel real good about our justice system
Live Oak pair who shot 13 deer fined, can’t hunt until they turn 21
Two Live Oak teens who illegally shot 13 deer around the Sutter Buttes were fined and banned from hunting until age 21, a state Department of Fish and Game official said Tuesday.
Game Warden Sean Pirtle called the illegal hunting a “thrill kill” and the worst example of poaching he has seen.
The older of the boys, age 17, was sentenced Tuesday in Sutter County Juvenile Court to 50 hours of community service and fined $2,000. He is prohibited from hunting until age 21, not even with an adult, said Pirtle.
The illegal killing of the Columbian Blacktail deer took place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The teens cut the backstrap — the prime cut of beef — from some of the animals and left the rest of the carcass to rot, he said.
Two spike buck carcasses were found Christmas night. The rest of the 13 deer were does and fawns.
Pirtle said the other teen, who turned 17 since his arrest, pleaded guilty about two weeks ago and was sentenced to 40 hours community service, fined $2,400 and prohibited from hunting until age 21.
Both boys are prohibited from possessing guns or ammunition during their formal probation, said Pirtle.
Each pleaded guilty to a string of charges, including unlawfully taking deer out of season and during closed hunting hours, shooting female deer, trespassing, spotlighting deer and wasting game, said Pirtle.
The younger of the two boys also pleaded guilty to illegally killing a turkey vulture, he said.
All the deer were shot on private property, including land along Pass Road, West Butte Road and North Butte Road.
The boys were arrested after an extensive investigation by the Sutter County Sheriff’s Department.
By: Rob Young - Appeal-Democrat.com
That is just awful. I’m not sure they should be banned for life, but I think a longer sentence than 5 years of not hunting would have been better.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Arthur, thanks for your opinion. It is greatly appreciated.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pm