Elk Poacher Sentenced

[ICEMAN]

Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Elk Poacher Sentenced

An Arlington, Washington, man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in an elk poaching case that took place in the park in 2004. Dean Harriman, 48, who pled guilty to federal charges of acquiring and transporting illegally taken wildlife, was sentenced to a year’s probation and required to pay a fine of $500 and restitution in the amount of $2,500. He’s also been banned from the park for a year and has had his Washington state hunting privileges revoked for a year. On November 6, 2004, a park volunteer discovered a fresh elk kill site on Carlton Ridge, which is located in the park’s southeast corner. Rangers verified that the kill site was well within the park and began an investigation. Three days later, they contacted six hunters camped just south of the park in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. They had with them a four-point elk that they’d killed and tagged two days before. Harriman, who was a member of the party, told the rangers that he’d shot the elk in the White Pass area on the opening day of elk season. Rangers asked for tissue samples from the tagged elk to determine whether or not it was the same elk that had been taken in the park, but Harriman refused their request. The rangers gathered DNA evidence from blood spatters in the camp where the elk was stored and blood drippings from sacks of meat hanging in the trees and from the carcass at the kill site. The evidence was sent to the Fish and Wildlife’s forensics lab in Ashland, Oregon, for analysis. The lab confirmed that the DNA from the two locations matched.  The case was investigated by rangers, with significant assistance from Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service officers. [Submitted by Uwe Nehring, Park Ranger]

When are we going to wise up? I mean the citizens of the state of Washington. Lets say I wanted to go on a payed hunt to hunt Elk on private property.... How much would I pay for this hunt? $3000 to $6000?

It is cheaper, to go poach an Elk off a national park, than it is to legally harvest an elk off a ranch.  Heck, if you poach two or three and then only get caught on the third, look how cheap your hunt was. Think how much money you just saved. Heck, poach your elk in the dead of winter, when the elk are down low and you can back your truck right up to it. Why not, it aint going to cost you much even if you get caught.

Why can't we up the damn fees and penalties so freaking high for this type of crap, to make people actually not want to poach!

I say $10,000 for poaching, lose everything, gun, truck, camp, the whole enchilada. Howabout the freezer you stored the meat in. Take it all. And yank the hunting rights in the state for 10years/minimum.

I am so fed up with this crap. How much money do you think it took to prosecute this *censored*?     

[Ghost Hunter]

Kudo's to the volunteer and Rangers.  My opinion is this sentence wasn't nearly enough, and isn't on most crimes.  Confiscate all hunting gear, camping gear, transportation, storage equipment, and lifetime loss of hunting priviliges in all states would be a start.  Then add costs of investigation, prosecution, and replacement value of one mature bull elk? 

[WDFW-SUX]

I'd bet my left nut they only catch 1% of the total critters that are poached in any given year and the only reason that they got these guys was the involvement of the Park Rangers.  I know from experience that they are very very serious about the park boundary and do patrol it quite frequently.

[popeshawnpaul]

How do we then compare my clients who rape or murder someone and get a 3k fine?  I have a guy that drove drunk and almost killed a little girl.  She is now in a vegetative state.  His fine was about 2k.  Are we then saying that it's worse to kill an elk than almost kill a person?  The guy probably should have served jail time but he got a lenient judge with regard to this type of crime.  While poaching is a big deal to me and all us hunters, I must say that most judges think it's fairly trivial compared to murder, rape, vehiclular assault, or felony drug possession.  You serve more jail on a simple misdemeanor marijuana possession than this guy served...  I do think they could have or did forfeit the truck used to shoot and transport the elk as well as the firearm.  It was used in the commission of this felony.  Not sure if they forfeited it but I believe they could have...  If you want to change the penalty, talk to your legislative representatives and work on changing the standard ranges for these crimes.  Then judges would be forced to impose large sentences.  It's not really the judge's fault all that much, there is a range in which they can sentence that is mandated. 

[Michelle_Nelson]

I believe they would catch a lot more poachers if honest hunters would ban together and turn them in.  Their are tons of poached animal discoveries every year.  I bet only 1/4 are even reported to F&G.  If that!

I don't mean just turn in the person that poached the animal.  I am talking about the animals them selves.  Think about it.  All it takes is a DNA sample.  What if F&G has a guy suspect of killing an animal but they can't prove it with out the carcass!  If we would start turning in the carcasses we find, that their is no question in your mind that they have been poached, I believe we can put more of these guys away. 

I believe that this guy got off pretty easy.  If infact that is the only punishment that he received.  I am not sure that loosing your hunting privileges for life is fair.  But this guy did get off easy. 

I am some most of you have made stupid mistakes (not just hunting) in your life.  I don't want anyone on here to think that I am accusing anyone on here.  I am just trying to make a point.  You make the mistake and you suffer the consequences.  That doesn't mean you are going to do it again does it?  Everyone deserves a second chance!  If they keep repeating he same mistake than take that privilege away for good!

Like this Glen Berry thing.  I hear a lot of people talking trash about the man.  Wether he did it or not, we don't really know. Yes he plead guilty, but I have heard 3 different stories alone just about that.  Their are always 2 sides of the story and about 100 stories made up by impression.  If he did infact poach that bull elk than shame on him.  He plead guilty and he got sentenced.  He is doing the time.  His business has suffered for it and that wasn't the courts decision, but it happened! 

I do believe that once he is done serving the sentence that he should get his hunting privileges back.  It's his second chance.  Just because you make a mistake doesn't mean they are going to make it again!

[actionshooter]

  I have a guy that drove drunk and almost killed a little girl.  She is now in a vegetative state.  His fine was about 2k.  Are we then saying that it's worse to kill an elk than almost kill a person?   

Sounds like that guy got off too easy also.

[Braz475]

I was told through a source that a kid he knew took 7 bucks in one season (even outside hunting season) and didn't tag one, and never got caught.  I called F&G to report his name and where the majority of it occurred but nothing happened.

[huntnphool]

How about this, anyone that turns in a poacher that is successfully prosecuted receives a late season tag like the raffle tag. Talk about incentive.

[littletoes]

I think the state already has something like this already. Just read your regs. If you turn in a poacher, you get points toward a special hunt.

[huntnphool]

A point towards a special tag is better than nothing but its not enough of a incentive in my opinion. Sure it would be nice if everyone did the right thing when they witnessed something like this but lets be honest, it would take more than a extra bonus point to turn in an acquaintance. With people maxed out at 10 points does a extra point really help, not really.

[WDFW-SUX]

There is no such thing as MAX points, and you get 10 for turning someone in. 

Those 10 points could mean anywhere from 100- thousands of extra chances at a good hunt.  I think the points are a good incentive for people who hunt. the cash rewards for turning in poachers is quite low on the other hand and needs to be raised.

[huntnphool]

I understand there is no max you can get, I'm talking about the people that have never drawn.

[robodad]

My father in law (R.I.P) used to tell me stories about him and his buddies poaching deer years ago sometimes quite a few per night and selling them for money to buy beer, shells, and gas. Only one time did they get caught and one of his pals took the fall because my FIL had a business license to protect, and when the pal went to court he was told to pay a $50 fine and lost his hunting license for a year. So he went out and killed several deer and sold them to pay the fine.

I think fines should be extremely steep for this sort of activity, and no license until the fine is paid. Jail is not a deterrent anymore cause the judges figure the cells need to be saved for the real bad criminals.

Poaching is for cheaters !!

[huntnphool]

LOL, I agree with you guys on the monetary aspect needing to increase but revoking a license and hunting privileges is a joke. These people didn't need a license in the first place how is that going to deter them or keep them from doing it again?

[Ghost Hunter]

How do we then compare my clients who rape or murder someone and get a 3k fine?  I have a guy that drove drunk and almost killed a little girl.  She is now in a vegetative state.  His fine was about 2k.  Are we then saying that it's worse to kill an elk than almost kill a person? 

No sir!!  I am saying most crimes need a higher punishment.  Try to give some justice to the victims too.  And driving drunk 'just once' ain't no mistake!!  Picked up too many victims, including my own son. Nope no excuse and no compassion if you make a 'mistake'.  Like shooting without knowing the target ain't no mistake!! Excuse my grammer.