Four Minnesota men and a Stanford man have been fined and ordered to pay restitution and court costs of $8,540 for poaching 17 antelope over a three-year period.
Fish, Wildlife & Parks said in a news release Monday that the five men also forfeited their hunting and trapping privileges in Montana for two years.
“This is an important case because this was premeditated, organized and an abuse of our natural resources,” said Tom Flowers, a FWP regional investigator.
From 2005 to 2007, the group would receive antelope licenses good in one district, then hunt illegally in another district, Flowers said.
An investigation led to the Stanford area where FWP Game Warden Bob Hammer, with the assistance of the Judith Basin county attorney’s office, was able to get the men to plead guilty. Justice of the Peace Larry Carver sentenced the men in March.
“The nonresidents would typically apply for and receive the majority of their antelope permits in FWP’s Region 5 (south-central Montana) where their chance of a successful drawing was high,” Flowers said. “Then they hunted in Region 4 (north-central Montana) with the benefit and knowledge of a local resident.”
The illegal activity was discovered when the Minnesota men were stopped at the Canada-North Dakota border, returning from a separate waterfowl hunting trip. A search of the vehicle revealed a camera with pictures of harvested antelope that didn’t appear to be properly tagged. When questioned the men said the antelope were killed in Montana.
Michael L. Bossen, age unknown, Stanford pleaded guilty to taking an antelope in the wrong district and unlawful possession of an antelope.
Adrian Marsden Jr., 62, Bayport, Minn., pleaded guilty to taking an antelope in the wrong district and unlawful possession of an antelope.
Thomas M. Sanders, 51, St. Paul, Minn., pleaded guilty to taking an antelope in the wrong district and unlawful possession of an antelope.
Edward J. Dobbs, 44, St. Paul, Minn, pleaded guilty to taking an antelope in the wrong district by accountability and unlawful possession of an antelope by accountability.
John E. Lockner, 44, Woodbury, Minn., pleaded guilty to taking an antelope in the wrong district, two counts of unlawful possession of an antelope, two counts of taking an antelope in the wrong district by accountability and unlawful possession of an antelope by accountability.
The accountability charges are from Dobbs and Lockner taking responsibility for their teenage sons’ actions.
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