# Sheldon is busted again!!



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Man cited for game, fish infraction
By RICHARD HINTON 
Bismarck Tribune 
A Streeter man has been cited for littering in a public area after dumping a large amount of bird carcasses on PLOTS land in Stutsman County.

Sheldon Schlecht faces a bond of $250 for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department infraction, which is the least severe of fish and game violations.

The pheasant and waterfowl carcasses all had been breasted, said Dick Knapp, game warden supervisor in Jamestown. Knapp put the number of birds at three or four pickup loads, or about 1,000.

"They were birds that came from the guiding operation, and it was their method of getting rid of the remains," Knapp said. Although the birds were dumped in November, the citation was issued Tuesday.

"We felt there was the possibility of more serious charges and took it to the state's attorney's office in Stutsman County. They felt it was no violation," Knapp said.

Fritz Fremgen, Stutsman County state's attorney, said the landowner called Schlecht, who cleaned up the mess. The landowner didn't want to press charges, and "we are fine with that," Fremgen said.

Because the dumping occurred on PLOTS land, an arrangement in which NDGFD pays landowners to open their property to walk-in hunters, "we felt we had a vested interest in the property," Knapp said.

"We felt it was our responsibility to file charges," Knapp continued. "Everyone else would have gotten a citation for what he was doing on a PLOTS area."

Before this latest citation, Schlecht had been charged 12 times previously with game and fish violations, and had 10 convictions, Knapp said.

Last month in federal court inSouth Dakota, Schlecht pleaded guilty to a violation of the Lacey Act and aiding and abetting in a deer case on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, which straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border.

He was sentenced to 50 days in prison, time he already served in federal custody in South Dakota, a $250 fine and $1,000 in restitution. He also has one year of supervised release, in which he is not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition, according to court documents.

Schlecht was among five men accused of illegally helping patrons of a guide service shoot and transport deer on the reservation.

A Mandan man entered a guilty plea in the case in November. Michael John Keller will be sentenced Feb. 27 in federal court in Aberdeen, S.D., court documents show.

The other three men, Jeffrey Smith, Streeter; Charles R. Brooks, Cedar Hill, Texas; and Jerry D. Brooks, Midlothian, Texas, also pleaded guilty to illegally transporting deer from the reservation. They will be sentenced March 24, according to a release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

(Reach reporter Richard Hinton at 701-250-8256 or [email protected];bismarcktribune.com.)

Why in the HELL is this guy still guiding? correct me if I am wrong but doesn't a conviction mean your license is revoked??

Bob :eyeroll:


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

the fact this guy is even around hunters/wild game is ridiculous.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

:******: :******: uke: uke:


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

What a piece of work. He's like an alcoholic, or a drug addict or a sex offender. He just can't seem to stop. What is this guy's problem? ARGH!


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

What a POS. Yall have a real problem with this guy... :eyeroll:


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Bob, I bet if you called the game and fish you will find out he is not a LICENSED OUTFITTER OR GUIDE no more than Bo Taylor was. Sheldon hasn't been licensed for years and if you would read neither was Jerry Brooks.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

G/O do you really think he should be allowed to work in and around any operation dealing with wildlife? Do you really think it matters that it is his wife that holds the license and he has no influence on what happens nor did Jerry Brooks?

Move past the license issue and look at the man or lack there of!

When it comes to Sheldon and the crew he runs with up there, don't nitpick! He is not worth the effort.


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## rowdie (Jan 19, 2005)

This guy should be banned form even watching someone hunt or fish. And he should be Banned from handling any game, during any part of the processing process including eating it....FOR LIFE!


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Gee Ron you seem to have all the answers. Maybe you should check to see who holds the license? Not his wife. Do I support what Seldon,Jerry and the rest have done, no I don't. Sorry Ronnie but I'm not nit picking, I'm only pointing out a fact that you and many others wish to ignore. That he is not a legal guide or outfitter in this state. I know its hard for you to believe but there many more law abiding outfitters than crooked ones. Now you tell me how is the game and fish or anyone else going to keep him out of there?


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## goldhunter470 (Feb 25, 2005)

g/o said:



> Now you tell me how is the game and fish or anyone else going to keep him out of there?


If woman can get 9 years in prison for putting a finger in her chili and saying Wendy's did it, surely this guy could be put away for a few. I think that would keep him out of there. :sniper:


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

I think we should send a couple hundred to the dip****. But we could have GB3 fill them for free!!!!

http://fecalgram.com/store/products


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## sotaman (Apr 6, 2004)

how are what agency can we as sportsman contact to make sure this is just not another slap on the wrist or are we headed down a dead end street by trying to get a harsh and deserving penalty for this person.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Dosch...you wanna go halvsies on a fecalgram for Sheldon? Just checked that site out...thhhhaaaats naaaaaasssty!!!


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

*g/o said:* 


> Now you tell me how is the game and fish or anyone else going to keep him out of there?


Very simple g/o. The outfitter interests and sportsmen interests sit down damn soon to write out and agree to legislation on these activities, making it so expensive they do not happen. When do the outfitters want to meet with the sportsmen?


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Its not that simple Dick believe me. I speak for myself not as a group you need to contact others. I'll pm you


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

g/o You seem to know who holds the liscenses for the Sheldon Schlecht hunting organization. Will you share this information with the rest of us?


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## rowdie (Jan 19, 2005)

Someone should try to book some hunts next year to find out the scoop. Set it all up and then don't show up. Lost $$ will be the only way to shut these guys down.


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

Then they will keep your deposit buddy!


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## Draker16 (Nov 23, 2004)

g/o why are u getting so defensive about this is sheldon your brother or something?????????? uke:


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Old Hunter, suggestion for you do a google search on Sheldons Waterfowl . You will notice the name has changed and you will find the names of the new owners. D16 he is not my brother. I am not defending Sheldon I am defending the Game and Fish. Many seem to feel he should be banned from even being near wildlife and I ask How? His last escapade he was a garbage man and he got in trouble for that. Tell me how is the game and fish or anyone else going to keep someone from working in this state?


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## Dave Brandt (Jun 20, 2003)

G/O

Lets see.... 1000 breasted carcasses would make me think there is something else going on since you have to legally have a wing attached for transportation. How are all his non-res clients transporting their birds? With all the land he either owns or leases, why dump these on a piece of PLOTs and risk someone complaining? Given his intelligence, calling him a garbage man insults the sanitation industry.


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## dekehunter (May 12, 2005)

See the MT Poacher sentenced thread, thats how you take care of people like this! With all these violations, there is no way this person should still be out dealing with the public.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

I'm sorry Mr. Brandt but I did not see the carcasses you must have. I would assume when they were breasted a wing was with the breast. This is a common way of cleaning birds. You seem to more than I do about this which would not surprise me.


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## Drakekiller (Apr 3, 2002)

One fully feathered wing or fully feathered head of all waterfowl;and one leg and foot, or fully feathered head, or the fully feathered wing of upland bird shall remain ATTACHED to such game during the transportation or shipment to its final place of storage.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Mr Brandt, Go to the home page and check the article on Bird cleaning. This is the way most of us clean birds and its legal. Apparently you know more about this than the rest of us.


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## Dave Brandt (Jun 20, 2003)

G/O: I do know the game warder who was waiting for Sheldon when he returned to the dump site. I won't make any claims to know the number of carcasses that did or did not have both wings intact. I'm sure it was all perfectly legitimate given his record (sarcastic), especially since he dumped them someplace other than his own property.

Why is it that sportsman have no problem calling a spade a shovel when someone in our brotherhood is convicted of violations, but you guys continue to appear to stand up for someone in your industry who is a known peice of crap? Your brotherhood should be foremost in chastising this criminal's actions, distancing him from your industry. I would think you would hold yourselves to a higher set of standards. After all, most of you profit from a publicly held trust, and things like what Sheldon does is how you will be judged relative to your respect and care of our resource. I appreciate the fact that you may operate legitimately and ethically, but not everyone does and its those individuals that damage sportsman's image to the non-hunting masses that win elections and referendums.

Just to let you know, I too hate rumors and unsubstaniated facts and prefer being called just Dave.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Dave, To set the record straight Sheldon is not a guide. My first remarks were of that to Bob if you will go back and read. He is no more a licensed guide that you are. It so easy for people to generalize that all outfitters and guides are rotten because of one person. Sheldon is not an outfitter or a guide so please do not refer to him as one. Now Dave you were the one who said there were 1000 carcasses that were breasted out . You also were the one who said being there was no identification there must be something else going on. All I'm saying is that I do not know that to be true I felt you must by making that comment. If you were to check my garbage pit you would find 1000 also. There is no excuse for what this man did, but how many on this site have cleaned birds in the ditches and farmers fields? I see it all the time I watch hunters clean birds on PLOTS land all season long. Yes Sheldon did it on a grand scale but is it alright if you only clean your birds? Should everyone be charged for this? Should there be signs on PLOTS that says it is against the law to clean birds here? Don't we need to treat everyone equal?


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## Dave Brandt (Jun 20, 2003)

G/O

Somantics aside, Sheldon will always be considered a guide and outfitter as long as he is active in any aspect of commercialized hunting. I was at several Advisory Board meetings where he was speaking as such and him simply playing a shell game with his operation makes no difference. I guess we could be politically correct and call him a commercial user......but anyone involved in leasing land and/or taking compensation for paying clients in pursuit of wild game is functioning as a guide or outfitter in my book. If you are simply making qualms about him not being licensed, then you are leaning towards doing exactly what I suggested in my previous post and distancing yourself from him, but I would suggest you go farther and send letters to the papers stating what you feel to be the truth and also to the prosecuting judges calling for harsher punishments.

I too have a carcass dump in the shelterbelt but the difference is that it is my property. To my knowlege, littering of that magnitude is illegal, and even if it isn't, it is socially irresponsible. How many hunters have you seen clean 1/100 of that on public land? I would guess not many. One of the most common complaints I hear from landowners and also hunters is lack of respect for private property and littering. Maybe there should be something printed in the PLOTS guide about it. What a great example he set to someone who agreed to let the public access his property. By the way it was the landowner that called this in but he did not want to press charges for certain reasons. As far as whether birds were or were not transported legally by clients (but how could they be clients if he is not guiding or outfitting, I suppose it was just good old Sheldon who killed those 1000 birds) we will probably never know, but I said to you once before, past history is a pretty good predictor of future performance, and boy does he have one a hell of a history.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

11 concvictions and he can still get a lic a year from now?

Enough is enough--a life time revocation is in order of all hunting priveleges. And revoke his guiding/of lic permanently.

This guy is a habitual offender, I wonder how many offenses he has committed that know one knows about? 100s I bet. 
uke:


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## lake 17 (Sep 25, 2004)

ARTICLE FROM BISMARCK TRIBUNE

No fines in waterfowl case
No complaint in PLOTS littering

The Stutsman County state's attorney has decided that a complaint is not warranted in a littering case involving the dumping of game bird carcasses on PLOTS land.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's enforcement division cited Sheldon Schlecht on Jan. 17 for littering, following the discovery of waterfowl and pheasant carcasses on land near Streeter in November.

"My intent is to dismiss it," Fritz Fremgen, the Stutsman state's attorney, said Tuesday. "Whether it's been done or not, Ihaven't checked."

A trial date is still pending in the case, Sarah Erck, a deputy clerk in the Stutsman County District Court clerk's office, said Tuesday. A littering infraction is punishable by a fine of up to $500.

Schlecht removed the carcasses after talking to the landowners, who then contacted Fremgen's office to say they did not want the matter prosecuted.

The pheasant and waterfowl carcasses all had been breasted, said Dick Knapp, game warden supervisor in Jamestown. Knapp estimated the number of birds at about 1,000.

- Richard Hinton


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

1000 breasted birds and no charges filed???? Why not? It sounds like Fritz Fremgen is not doing his job. What would happen to you or me if we breasted 1000 birds and threw them of sombodys land. It seems that some laws have been broken and Stutsman Co and Fritz are not doing their job.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Intersting case, PLOTS is private land leased by the game and fish. The owner doesn't want to press charges, so what right does the game and fish have? Should be interesting to see how this all plays out


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## Troller1 (Oct 15, 2004)

Is it legal to "just" breast out waterfowl?


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Troller1 said:


> Is it legal to "just" breast out waterfowl?


Yes it is...just leave a wing attached....I would guess most of us do this....we just don't leave a pile carcasses on someones land.

My intent is to dismiss it," Fritz Fremgen, the Stutsman state's attorney, said Tuesday. "Whether it's been done or not, Ihaven't checked."

How the heck can he dismiss the charges if he hasn't checked????? :eyeroll:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Maybe he's busy and there are bigger fish to fry in that part of the state. I don't think States Att. get paid very much and have to keep other jobs or work going. Lets try to keep our sights on the target.


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

buckseye said:


> Lets try to keep our sights on the target.


And what in the world would that be, other than keeping scums feet to the fire??


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

yep on the target, sure not States Att.'s it's Sheldon and other people that sell wildlife. :wink:


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