June 04, 2013
By Dylan Polk
We outdoor writers know more than anyone how far some folks will go to bring home a trophy. If our wandering editor Mike Schoby isn't in the office, it's a safe bet he's off on some adventure halfway across the planet.
Of course, before we head off on these hunting getaways, we always make sure our licenses, passports and other important paperwork are in order before we even step foot in an airport.
Apparently legality takes a back seat for some hunters.
Take this brainless quartet from Louisiana, who drove all the way from the Bayou to Iowa in order to take five deer illegally, according to the Hamburg (Iowa) Reporter, racking up a total of 76 hunting violations.
According to WOWT Channel 6 in Omaha, Neb., James Keith Moore, 41, of Hammond, La., and Michael D. Fralick, 45, of Ponchatoula, La., were each charged with 32 counts of deer-related violations across four southwest Iowa counties. Each numbskull racked up a fine of $6,123.90, in addition to $25,000 per deer in civil damages being sought by the state.
The other half of this lot of losers — Stanley B. Russell, 46, of Roseland, La., and William H. Chambliss, 39, of Kentwood, La. — were both convicted of six counts of deer-related violations in Montgomery County, Iowa, and were fined $1,823.40 apiece. They are also faced with civil damages — $10,000 apiece — being sought by the state.
In addition, the state has also requested the forfeiture of the four rifles used in the crimes. To top it off, Fralick, Russell and Chambliss are all facing similar poaching charges in Kansas.
The 10-month investigation began in November 2011 when the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department received an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources received a similar phone call around the same time, linking the cases together.
We understand road trips are a fun way to connect with your buddies — and hunting road trips are even better. But don't be like these idiots; get all your paperwork lined up before you hit the road, and when you get to where you're going, always do things by the book — an unethical hunter is not really a hunter at all.
As for these clowns — who drove halfway across the country to illegally take a few bucks in the rut — we at Petersen's Hunting award them the prestigious "Road Trip!" Award.
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