Some illegal hunting recently cost a Waterford man dearly.
Last December Michigan Conservation Officer, Sergeant Brandon Kieft was conducting some random checks of deer processing facilities in the Waterford area.
‘I noticed one of the deer that was ready to be processed had a rifle round through it,? said Kieft.
‘It was too late in the year for gun season and muzzle hunting season was just about over. The processor had recorded the driver’s license and those numbers did not jibe with the deer tag numbers.?
Kieft investigated and the licenses belonged to family members including the father of the suspect.
‘He stayed with his story until I suggested an interview with his father and then he confessed to shooting three bucks last year near the Groveland and Holly township border,? he said. ‘Two of the deer fell under the trophy buck regulations.?
Last year a new law made several changes to the fines and restitution payments for poaching deer, especially with trophy-sized racks. The new penalty system for poaching includes $1,000 for poaching any deer, an extra $1,000 for antlered deer, plus another $500 for each point on a buck with 8-10 points. Then if the buck is 11 point or more tack on an additional $750 per point.
‘This was the first time in Oakland County the new trophy law was used,? said Kieft. ‘The 39 year-old man also harvested the deer with a centerfire 7 mm rifle in a limited firearm zone.?
The defendant was charged $14,000 in restitution, his firearm was condemned, and he lost his hunting privileges for the remainder of the 2015 deer season and three years after.
He received a plea deal and pled no contest to two out of the four counts, with the understanding that he had to pay his court fines, costs, and restitution fees in full. The total of which came to just under $19,000.