# North Dakota Outfitter Sentenced



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

*North Dakota Outfitter Sentenced for Killing Eagles and Unlawful Guiding*

Warren W. Anderson, a Bowman County, North Dakota hunting outfitter, was
sentenced today to pay $60,000 in fines and restitution, as well as
forfeit hunting equipment, hunting privileges and outfitting privileges,
for his role in a variety of Federal and State wildlife crimes that took
place in North Dakota in 2004.

U.S. Attorney Drew H. Wrigley made the announcement following sentencing
by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hovland. Charges involved two
violations, including one felony, of the Bald and Golden Eagle
Protection Act, and one violation each of the Lacey Act and Migratory
Bird Treaty Act. Anderson also pleaded guilty to two North Dakota Class
A misdemeanors in Bowman County District Court.

The $60,000 fine and restitution is the largest ever for
wildlife-related crimes in North Dakota.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Hayden and Bowman County State's
Attorney Nici Meyer Clarkson, who both prosecuted the case, stated this
case is a great example of inter-agency cooperation.

Anderson, a North Dakota licensed outfitter doing business as Stage
Creek Hunting and Guide Service, pleaded guilty to charges of killing
federally protected eagles, hawks and owls, as well as taking deer out
of season and without a proper license.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and North Dakota Game and Fish
Department initiated a joint investigation in 2004 after state and
federal officers had accumulated numerous raptor (eagles, hawks, and
owls) carcasses from areas allegedly frequented by Anderson.
Additionally, the two agencies had accumulated complaints from concerned
citizens indicating Anderson may have been shooting raptors stemming
back to 2001.

While conducting guiding operations in October 2004, Anderson shot and
killed a golden eagle, shot and crippled a second golden eagle, and
attempted to take two other golden eagles.

Also during the hunt, Anderson poached a white-tailed deer, instructed
and aided his hunters to exceed their daily and possession limits of
pheasants, guided hunters on Private Land Open to Sportsmen ground where
guiding is not allowed, spotlighted cottontail rabbits, instructed and
aided in trespassing on private land while hunting, instructed the
hunters and participated in shooting shotguns from a moving vehicle at
raptors, pheasants and white-tailed deer.

Based on information Anderson provided, and from other hunts with
Anderson, in December 2004, Service and Game and Fish wardens served
search warrants for Anderson's residence, outbuildings and vehicles.
During the search, additional physical evidence was seized which
indicated Anderson was engaged in unlawful guiding and outfitting
practices.

"Past legislative changes focused on stopping illegal commercial
activities have given us resources to target these types of gross
violations," stated Bruce Burkett, Game and Fish Department commercial
enforcement supervisor. "It is highlighted by the excellent cooperation
between enforcement agencies and state and federal prosecutors."

Based on evidence obtained during the investigation, nine additional
clients of Anderson were cited federally for the unlawful take,
possession, and transportation of pheasants and waterfowl.

On January 31, 2006, Judge Hovland sentenced Anderson following a guilty
plea agreement. In addition to the $60,000 in fines and restitution,
$11,625 of which goes to Bowman County and the Game and Fish Department
for pleading guilty to two state Class A misdemeanors, Anderson will
forfeit four rifles, one shotgun and several hundred rounds of rifle
ammunition.

Additionally, he was placed on two years supervised probation, to
include home confinement, and will be prohibited from hunting worldwide
for two years, and in North Dakota for six years. He was also ordered to
forfeit his North Dakota outfitting license and agreed to a lifetime ban
on guiding and outfitting in North Dakota. By virtue of the felony
conviction, Anderson is also prohibited from possessing all firearms for
life.


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## Ima870man (Oct 29, 2003)

I typed in this persons guiding service under a google search and I see that he is listed under the Dickinson Visitors and Convention Bureau web site. It sure is nice to know where the real support comes from! I'll bet it will not be listed there very long, but still kind of interesting. I guess you deserve what you get, or vice versa.

Ima870man

Wow I just looked again before I posted this and it seems it is already gone.


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

He is not the first upland outfitter that has been convicted of this type of behavior. There was one around New Salem that was killing birds of prey. Trapping them with exposed bait. birds = $


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Those boys by New Salem are a bad bunch. Little they will not do for a buck with no regard to game laws or ethics.


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## bioman (Mar 1, 2002)

Upon reading that, I was literally sick to my stomache.

Question for G/O and Kyle B: was this market hunter one of your proud paying members of the North Dakota Professional Guide Association??? If so, this speaks volumes to the type of "professional" err market hunters within your ilk uke:

Also, this story will pale in comparison to what will be announced when charges are brought against Cheyenne Valley. Stay tuned...


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Apparently we do not need legislation to police the industry, self destruction is doing it for us. :wink:


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

New Salem? Didn't hear about that one. There was an outfitter at Almont a few years ago that had his clients stuff hen breasts inside the body cavity of roosters and was trafficing in poached bucks. Busted. And there was the crew at Richardton, can't remember the logo, that did about the same thing in multiple states. Hawks, over limit on game birds, moving vehicles, guns out the window, deer out of season. Busted. But then I have never understood how Cannonball can pay farmers cash on a per bird basis when it is *strictly forbidden in the century code*. 

Apparently these outfitters that get busted don't know the right people...............or don't make the right political contributions. Trying to get by on the cheap maybe.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Stay Tuned!

There will be more.

Bob


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

Suspense.........................I love it Bob!


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## rowdie (Jan 19, 2005)

I lived in Gregory Co. in SD, where pay hunting started in SD. A freind told me that one landowner/outfitter had fence post traps for hawks and eagles. They just don't see anything wrong with protecting their investment, boughten/pen raised birds. He told me this guys kills hundreds of eagles a year. The authorities just look the other way down there because it's just such a big business. To tell the truth, I never saw so many Golden Eagles in my life, they were everywhere! If this were to happen down there, this guy would have supporters in his corner, maybe even publically.

The more commercialized hunting becomes, the more of these types of these incidents will happen. This is a fact, not an opinion!


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