I got the following press release from USO yesterday. Thought I'd post it as there was a thread a while back when the charges were filed. I have no affiliation with USO, other than 'shopping' thier site.

-Steve

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UNITED STATES OUTFITTERS, INC.
Screamer Newsletter

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2003 Contact United States Outfitters
Phone � 505-758-9774

Charges against United States Outfitters dismissed by Federal Judge

Phoenix, Arizona- United States Federal District Judge McNamee dismissed charges against United States Outfitters, owner George Taulman, and senior guide Dave Holton. Judge McNamee�s decision concluded �the theory of prosecution and expansive interpretation of the criminal statue at issue creates a materially new and different criminal offense which was not included within the Airborne Hunting Act�. In its dismissal, the Court felt USO was being prosecuted for acts, even if proven, were not illegal under any Federal or State statue.

The charges stemmed from a joint investigation by United States Fish and Wildlife Service with assistance from the Arizona Game and Fish Department in 1998 citing alleged illegal scouting by aircraft by United States Outfitters, its pilots and guides. The investigation was initiated by these government agencies less than a year after United States Outfitters filed a Federal lawsuit against the State of Arizona claiming nonresident discrimination on the quota of hunting tags given to U. S. citizens wanting to hunt on Federal lands inside the State of Arizona. USO had been successful in two previous suits against Arizona for the benefit of nonresident hunters.

The charges (now dismissed) were not filed until October of 2002 at which time a significant effort was made by the government agencies to spread the negative publicity to the media and public. The IRS was called in for audits, which also found no wrongdoing. Suspiciously, these charges were filed four years after the investigation, but exactly one month after United States Outfitters won a Ninth Circuit Appeal Case against the State of Arizona seeking in the lifting of quotas on these nonresident tags.

Not suprisingly, United States Outfitters is considering filing a Hyde amendment claim for wrongful and malicious prosecution seeking return of costs, attorney fees and damages.

According to Mr. Taulman, �It�s sad when the government tries to punish you for doing nothing more than asserting the constitution and our individual rights. Thankfully, we have the courts to hold the government accountable for its� misdeeds. USO will continue to champion the rights of nonresident hunters.�

United States Outfitters INC.
800-845-9929
http://www.unitedstatesoutfitters.com
info@huntuso.com

I tried the search feature and couldn't find any past articles about the charges filed against them. I have seen them where I hunt and they do always have aircraft in the air during the hunt flying over the area's where they have hunters.

Here is the original thread.

-Steve

Thanks for the link. I would say that my experiences and others that I know around their operations show the aircraft/spotting to be true. I don't know about driving. If I remember right the big game rules here are you can't hunt within 24 hrs after flying over the hunt area in a light plane. Doesn't say you can't spot for people on the ground, but ethically it seems like a violation to me.

It is all about money! Plain and simple Taulman will do whatever it takes to fill his pockets. And being a champion for non-resident hunters is how he will fill his pockets. It is the wave of future hunting. MOney talks< BS walks!

Nice thing is with a little research and leg work you can hunt public lands and draw tags all on your own.

Taulman's attempt at "damage control" doesn't fly with me. He doesn't address the charges against him, doesn't state where he stands on scouting from the air with a poor-boy AWAC, he's trying to divert our attention to his defense of out-of-State-hunters.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's probably a duck. I suspect he is as innocent as O.J.

By the way, "the government" and "the courts" are one and the same. Taulman would have us believe that the U.S. government is bad, and the U.S. courts are good. I thought the judicial system was just one branch of the government.

He needs to stick with something he understands, airborne reconnaissance.