# Ethics At Game Farms



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

FORT WAYNE, IND. AP- Unlicensed hunters were allowed to use illegal weapons while paying up to $20,000 to kill drugged deer at Indiana's largest hunting preserve, a federal grand jury said.

A federal indictment released Thursday charged Russell G. Bellar, 49, of Peru, and Hinds Tom Jones, 36, of Edwards, Miss., with 38 felonies. Each violation can result in a fine of $250,000, five years in prison or both.

The charges say 51 illegal deer hunts were allowed since January 2001 at Bellar's Place, a 1,500-acre fenced preserve near Peru, about 55 miles southwest of Fort Wayne. Bellar owns the operation, and Jones is his property manager.

The indictment said that clients, many from out of state, were unlicensed, used illegal weapons and hunted with the aid of bait. It also said clients were often allowed to choose specific deer, paying as much as $20,000 to kill the animals in an enclosed area.

The deer were often drugged, and their antlers were measured before they were placed into small pens where they were killed, according to the indictment. After the deer were killed, the antlers, hides and drug-contaminated meat were illegally transported, often across state boundaries.

"The case is very important as a matter of law and of ethical treatment of wildlife," said Lt. Col. Jeff Wells, executive officer for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources law enforcement division. "This was not hunting. It's just wrong.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

that is the perfect definition of a canned hunt. i hope those two guys get the book thrown at them. i think the people that participated in the hunts should be fined too just for being stupid.


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## Southwest Fisher (May 14, 2004)

Throw away the Goddam key, they disgrace real sportsmen everywherre.


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

I agree the hunters involved should be fined too. How can those involved with this even consider themselves a true hunter at all, this is the stuff that gets all hunters into trouble.


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

This is why big game should never allowed to be shot on game farms. Obviously I'm not a fan of game farms period, but at least with released birds I can understand their purpose for training and practice. It's definitely not my cup of tea but like I said, if someone wants to essentially go shoot some chickens for practice and to train their dog and they live in an area that doesn't offer wild bird hunting I can see their reasons for going.

With big game I see absolutely no reason for using a game farm whatsoever. To shoot a tame-confined deer, and now add "drugged" to that description, is complete BS. It gives real hunters a black eye and should never be tolerated.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Let me correct a couple things here guys do not in talking or typing about these morons use the term *HUNTER* for the are not! :******:


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

That makes me sick! uke:


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

typical


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## MRN (Apr 1, 2002)

I'll take the oposite view (see how it goes):

Are we assuming these are privately owned, farmed deer? If so, why do we care if they were drugged and measurd in a small pen before someone with too much $$ stuck the barrel of the gun through a hole in the fence and dropped them? If they are farmed deer the issue should be humane treatment, not fair chase. Its just like slaughtering a steer, big deal. Fair chase ain't part of the equation for putting these big boys into the freezer. Perhaps they would pay $2000 to chop the head off a farmed pheasant too. (I could air-brush a drugged chicken...)

I think we should borrow a page from the Special Olympics (I don't intend to demean the Special Olympics - its a great thing so I kinda feel bad using this metaphor) - these folks need something for themselves. We should encourage them to do the best they can on these "special hunts", high-five and congratulate them, whatever it takes to keep them from hiring guides to lease 10,000 acres so they can go wound a deer out in the field.

If these are wild deer - then I'm with everyone else.

M.


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## Nodak Duke (Oct 14, 2003)

cgreeny said:


> the hunters involved should be fined too..


I agree with you... But, where were the "hunters" involved? I see no "hunters." Only fools out killing animals. :eyeroll:


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

WOW this topic leaves me speechless. uke:


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## wiscan22 (Apr 4, 2004)

Ethics at Game Farms..... now there's an oxymoron.


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

"If so, why do we care if they were drugged and measurd in a small pen before someone with too much $$ stuck the barrel of the gun through a hole in the fence and dropped them?"

I dont feel any animal wild or farmed should have to be drugged and shot up with ak47's


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## gonegoosey (Jul 2, 2004)

You guys ought to do some checking and see who these so called hunters were. Some pretty looked up to people were taking part in this. If I recall and my mind goes from time to time, but the (late) Sr. great nascar hero took part. Anyone on here ever heard of Brooks and Dunn???? Ronnie Dunn... Hmmm!! Anyway These people had more money than brains!!


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