# Hunters Charged



## Hunter_58346 (May 22, 2003)

Posted on Sun, Oct. 09, 2005

Judge fines Wisconsin hunters
Shooting ducks out of season leads to fines in N.D., Wisconsin
By Brad Dokken
Herald Staff Writer

A pair of Wisconsin hunters have lighter wallets - and two less shotguns -after being caught shooting ducks Sept. 10 northeast of Devils Lake during North Dakota's early Canada goose season.

Warren Hunter, 42, of Spooner, Wis., and Edward Slavick Jr., 41, of Minong, Wis., paid $825 each in fines and court costs as part of a Rule 43 agreement. Basically an admission of guilt, the agreement allowed them to waive appearing in Ramsey County District Court in exchange for paying their fines and other penalties. Authorities also confiscated the hunters' shotguns.

Ramsey County District Court Judge Lee Christofferson signed off on the agreement Monday. The original waiver called for the hunters to lose their hunting and fishing privileges through 2007, but Christofferson reduced the suspension to one year from the date of the violation.

According to Gene Masse, district game warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in New Rockford, N.D., a tip from the state's Report All Poachers hot line led authorities to the hunters. An investigation report shows that Ramsey County sheriff's deputies first responded to the RAP call and found the hunters with four ducks that had just been shot. Masse said it's common for local officers from the various law enforcement agencies to work together.

The early season only is open to Canada geese, which means the incident occurred two weeks before North Dakota's regular waterfowl opener.

Hunter and Slavick admitted to shooting the ducks, the report said, and authorities allowed three other people accompanying the men to return to the farmhouse where they all were staying. The next day, Masse and Mike Ramirez, a federal agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, found additional ducks, already processed, that had been disposed in a garbage pit near the farmhouse.

According to Masse, the wardens then contacted Wisconsin authorities and asked them to be on the lookout for the hunters' vehicle in case they had more game. Wisconsin officers stopped the crew on their return home, citing Hunter and Slavick for transporting Canada geese without proper identification. That violation cost them another $243 each, Masse said.

The hunters also admitted to throwing the ducks in the garbage pit during the Wisconsin stop.

Masse said Hunter and Slavick could have faced federal charges, which are more serious, but their cooperation and admission of guilt kept the offenses in state court. That cooperation also helped the hunters avoid charges for wanton waste, Masse said.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

That sucks... :eyeroll:


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

RAP really really works!!


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

DJRooster said:


> RAP really really works!!


Yep and I encourage EVERYONE to use it.


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## ammoman (Dec 19, 2005)

pouch and you should loose you linces for life
and get a nice big juicy fine like 5000.000 dollars 
and loose all your guns 
and serve 5 years in jail
break the law pay the price


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

This happened just NW of my farmstead. These guys had shot a pile of mallards.

The sad part is that District Judge Christopherson, who is extremely liberal and known for decisions that are head scratchers, refused to include suspension of their hunting privileges in the plea agreement.

He felt the fines & forfeited shotguns were enough punishment, and that they should be allowed to come back and hunt in ND, thereby spending money here... :******:

I can tell you that when we LEO's in the Lake Region have a case in District Court, we hope Judge Foughty and not Judge Christopherson hears it. Those boys should thank their lucky stars they didn't draw Judge Foughty...


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

ammoman:

Kind of strict aren't you?

Lose license for life, confiscate all guns? I agree with the rest but why should we take all their guns?

Don't take this the wrong way but how old are you?


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## the Bender (Mar 31, 2005)

These guys are frickin Idiots. It makes you wonder what they've gotten away with. I agree they should lose their right to hunt over this one. Who wouldn't act sorry or remorseful and admit their guilt when caught like these guys were. These Idiots were in their 40's. Slobs! I hope they don't have kids. Damn shame. What's with the judge??? Punishment enough??? Fines, and losing scatterguns is not fitting of the crime IMO, and no charge for wanton waste. What the Heck??? 
Hey, let's kill some brown ducks way early. Yeah, then let's throw them in the trash. :beer:


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## hydro870 (Mar 29, 2005)

They should loose the previlage of hunting in ND.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

One thing that you need to remember is that in our so called "legal system" plea bargains are the norm now days. I have always advocated harsher penalties for wildlife violations. IMO flagrant violations should be a minimum of two year suspension of hunting privileges. The Wildlife Violators Compact, of which ND is a member would also make sure that they can not hunt in states that are part of the compact.

Heck some states take your vehicles, boat and the whole nine yards. These guys get to take a year off and come back next season. It is just not right IMO.

Bob


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## Lil Sand Bay (Feb 2, 2005)

I completely agree with you Bob.
Unfortunately court calendars are so incredibly full that if even a small portion of the cases went to actual trial, the system would collapse from it own weight, ie, right to a speedy trial. County attorneys then tend to see resource violations as something less then "important" in their big scheme of things, and they get plea bargained away at the pre trial, arraignment phase. Nah, it ain't right! But...


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I would point out for those who don't know him, Ramsey County States Attorney Lonnie Olson is an outstanding pro-LE attorney and a highly experienced and excellent prosecutor. He included loss of hunting privileges in the plea agreement, it was Judge Christopherson who chose to exclude that condition...


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