POACHER IGNORES WILDLIFE VIOLATOR COMPACT

12/21/2009

CODY - A Worland man convicted of poaching in Colorado found out the hard way that the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact should not be ignored.

After committing violations in Colorado in 2004, Keith Searle had his hunting and fishing privileges suspended until Nov. 2010. "Searle moved to Wyoming and began hunting and fishing," said Worland Game Warden Matt Lentsch. "However, an individual who loses their privileges to hunt in a state that is a member of the wildlife compact actually loses them in all 32 compact member states."

According to Lentsch, Searle pleaded guilty to purchasing eight resident licenses while under suspension over a three-year period. He was also cited for taking a deer without a license, accessory to taking a deer without a license and two counts of accessory to transferring licenses.

Washakie County Circuit Court records show that Searle was ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution to the State of Wyoming and $390 court costs. He was ordered to serve three consecutive one-year jail terms in the Washakie County jail, with all but 90-days suspended. He was fined $840 and lost his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for 18 years.

"Searle was placed on four-years of supervised probation and ordered to sign a waiver of extradition. The conditions of his probation are very strict," Lentsch said.

Searle's probation conditions state that he is not to posses any firearms, bow, arrow, hunting knives, binoculars, spotting scopes, fishing equipment, or any item that is used in any type of hunting or fishing in any state. Nor is Searle to be in the presence of anyone that has any of the mentioned items. He is not to engage in any hunting, fishing, trapping and/or shed antler gathering, nor be in the presence of anyone engaged in these activities. "Searle was given 30 days to remove all hunting and fishing equipment from his possession," Lentsch said.

According to Lentsch, wildlife violations are taken seriously by judges and prosecuting attorneys and the wildlife violator compact was created to serve as a deterrent to poaching. Any person whose license privileges are suspended in Wyoming would also be suspended in the other 31 member states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

I applaud efforts to strictly enforce game laws and punish offenders such as this man. However, the requirement to have him remove from his possession all related gear seems a little overboard to me. Guns yes, bows yes, big fines yes, jail time yes, but taking away knives and binos? C'mon, that's a little excessive (and somewhat silly IMO) even for this bonehead.

Poachers, whether they have a license or not, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. IMHO. They harm the reputation of all legitimate hunters and gun owners.

Kudos on nailing that JERK.
Sounds like he's related to Obama. Obama will no doubt free him so Obama can get another vote..
No doubt about it, that JERK is running on an empty crank case. DUMB, and ARROGANT to boot.
Come to think of it, Obama will probably hire the guy and make him an assistant AG...

I have to agree with DesertRam. I totally think punishing poachers is the way to go, but binos, give me a break, and now he can't defend himself with anything larger than a pocket knife. Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with all of the sentencing (I would not suspend the jail time) except those two items.

Anyone know what the prior violations in Colorado were? I didn't see where he was convicted of poaching.....and the deer he took in WY were only illegal because he shouldn't have had the license. I hate poachers as much as you....but if he lost his original license for say, not signing his federal duck stamp or something this would be insane.



NB: Sorry, that's what happens when you type before you reread.....off with his head!!!!!

He got off way too easy.

He should have been staked to the ground and set on fire.

the wildlife violator compact is just one more step towards one govt all powerfull in your life cradle to grave.

if he is guilty lock hiss ass up in colorado dont tell wyoming what he can and cant do there.

quote:

Originally posted by CRUSHER:
the wildlife violator compact is just one more step towards one govt all powerfull in your life cradle to grave.

if he is guilty lock hiss ass up in colorado dont tell wyoming what he can and cant do there.

Amen, brother!

No binos?

I agree with all of it. He is a repeat offender, period. Do we want scum like this bouncing from state to state when he gets caught and can't hunt there anymore? You get caught poaching, ALL your gear can be taken, including binos and knifes and vehicles. ANYTHING used as a tool in the taking of game is liable to be taken from him. And read it again guys, he didnt just poach in CO and move to WY, he got caught poaching there too - taking deer without a license, assisting others in the taking of deer without a license.

The odds are at least 50/50 that he has moved to another state and has violated his conditions of parole there. A poacher is as likely to reform as an alcoholic/druggie/child molester is...
This guy is not a homeless person with a family living in his travel trailer trying to get an animal to feed his family. Read the whole thing.

I'd have made sure he served the whole three years and then put the sanctions in place. The idea is to hammer this guy sooooooo hard that fear of the consequences keeps him from doing it ever again.

Rich