# Bellar Trial comes to a close



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

As the Crow Flies

'Canned hunts' all about the trophy, not the sport

By Mark Crowley-Warrick Publishing Online

A two-week trial that concluded this week in South Bend will undoubtedly set the parameters for "high-fenced" hunting in the Hoosier state and elsewhere in the nation.

It has also exposed to the public as to just what a farce these operations really are. The hunts are all about big trophy bucks and not the sport of hunting.

The subject of "canned hunts," or hunting behind fences, has been festering in Indiana over the last three years. Opponents, comprised of hunters and conservation groups, have argued from the beginning that these types of hunts are not hunting.

Their argument is simple: There is no sense of fair chase and it cheapens the sport by placing a dollar value on the animal itself.

The trial centered around the crusader of "high-fenced" hunting Russell Bellar, owner of Bellar's Place, a 1,400 acre deer farm near Peru.

At one time he offered outdoor writers, including this one, the opportunity to hunt a specific buck at no charge to prove his point that these types of operations really are hunting.

However, as it came out in testimony, most of the deer were killed in penned areas ranging from three to 10 acres. Other deer farmers from around the state had heralded Bellar as the "messiah" who would lead the charge to legitimize such hunting operations.

Bellar and his farm manager, Hinds Tom Jones, faced 39 counts following an intense investigation by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Some of the counts centered around violations of the Lacy Act that prohibits the transportation and sale through interstate commerce of any wildlife taken or possessed in violation of state law.

Hinds was the first called to the stand. He had reached a plea agreement in exchange for testimony against Bellar. He presented the first round of damning evidence against Bellar and how he operated.

Over the two week period more than 70 witnesses were called and included such names as renowned outdoor TV personality Jimmy Houston, country music star Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn, former Miami Dolphins quarterback Jeff Wickersham and Fred Rowan, CEO of Carter's Clothing, Inc.

Some of the witnesses paid as much as $25,000 to kill specific bucks.

Indiana law prohibits the killing of specific bucks and to get around this, Bellar at one time allegedly released two deer into the fenced area, one of which had its antlers sawed off to stubs so that the hunter would know which deer he paid for.

Here's a recap of how these witnesses characterized the hunts:

Dunn testified that Bellar had pointed out a specific deer for him to kill in a small pen. Dunn commented that it was like "slaughtering cattle."

Wickersham said he chose the deer he killed from a magazine and paid $20,000 to kill that one deer. The deer had been brought from another farm, drugged and released into the pen. Bellar and his employees then herded the deer away from the fence for Wickersham to shoot in about 30 minutes.

Rowan testified that he and his son shot three bucks in a four-hour span and paid $20,000 for the largest deer and $8,000 to $10,000 for the smaller two.

But these weren't the only hunters called to the stand. According to news reports, witness after witness told the same type of stories where deer were drugged, shot with a variety of weapons in small fenced areas, including rifles which are illegal in Indiana.

Many told of how the hunts were then staged for video cameras to make the hunts look legitimate.

One hunter even testified that fake blood was applied to the animal to make it look more realistic. "That was a nice touch," the hunter testified.

But the money and the fact that the deer were drugged and shot behind fences aren't the core of the legal issue.

What the investigation uncovered were violations of Indiana hunting laws ranging from the use of illegal weapons, taking more than one buck per year, hunting over bait, use of drugs banned in animals meant for human consumption, illegal sale of wildlife, the hunting of specific deer and the failure to obtain hunting licenses.

Many witnesses said they were improperly informed that they needed hunting licenses and could not use certain weapons.

In some cases, they claimed they were told outright that since Bellar's Place was a deer farm, some of these laws did not apply. But they did.

The trial has now since concluded and realizing that he has been caught dead behind a fence, so to speak, Bellar reached a plea that will undoubtedly land him in jail for several years in addition to more than $575,000 in fines and restitution.

The details of the trial go on and on, much too long for this column space.

The one thing that the trial does bring out is that "canned hunts" are bad news. They project a bad image for the sport and takes away any sense of fair chase. Unfortunately, the issue of this sort of hunting isn't dead yet.

Prior to the "truth" coming out as to just how bad this "business" is, deer farmers from around the state have been courting Indiana lawmakers to pass new laws that would take management of white-tailed deer and other cervids away from the DNR and place it into the hands of the newly formed Indiana Department of Agriculture so that they can be treated simply as livestock.

Emergency rules were put into place two years ago that halted the transportation of live cervids in and out of Indiana in an attempt to prevent Chronic Wasting Disease from entering our state.

Let's hope more are on the way to protect hunting itself.

If "canned hunting" is eventually legitimized in this state, Indiana can be proud of the fact that the sport of hunting has been slaughtered, just like the deer in small pens at Bellar's Place.

Outdoor tidbits:

The L.A. Sportsmen's Club of Lynnville will be conducting and Indiana Department of Natural Resources Hunter Education Program on Jan. 29 and 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time.

Attendance is mandatory on both days in order to receive the hunter education certification. Pre-registration is required.

Indiana law requires that any person born after Dec. 31, 1986 to complete the course in order to purchase an Indiana hunting license.

The classes will be geared towards the youth but all ages are welcome. Indiana's hunter education certification is accepted by all states that require certification of hunters regardless of age.

Persons under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

The directions to the L.A. Sportsmen's Club are: From the intersection of Ind. 68 and Ind. 61 in Lynnville, turn north on Ind. 61 and proceed to the Petersburg "Y" intersection and turn onto the Petersburg Road. There is a sign for the club. From Petersburg Road, turn west onto Doerner Road. Proceed approximately 1 mile and the clubhouse is on the left.

For more information contact the District 7 headquarters of the DNA's Division of Law Enforcement at 812-789-9538.

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Mark Crowley can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].


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## Drakekiller (Apr 3, 2002)

"Prior to the "truth" coming out as to just how bad this "business" is, deer farmers from around the state have been courting Indiana lawmakers to pass new laws that would take management of white-tailed deer and other cervids away from the DNR and place it into the hands of the newly formed Indiana Department of Agriculture so that they can be treated simply as livestock." 
This already happened here in ND! Time to put the G&F back in charge of deer and elk again so jokers like Orlin Mertz can be controlled.


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## Lil Sand Bay (Feb 2, 2005)

Thanks for the post Bob:

Here the terms Deer Farm, State Dept. of Agriculture, and CWD unfortunately all fit together in VERY recent memory!


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

How could anyone feel good about themselves after paying 20 grand for going into a fence and shooting a deer that they picked out of a catalog. Freaking sick. uke: uke: uke: :******:


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