NY: Man pleads guilty to shooting farm's bison
November 21, 2008
Man pleads guilty to shooting farm's bison
By Raymond Drumsta, Staff Writer
A man charged with shooting an escaped bison pleaded guilty to
misdemeanor animal cruelty Wednesday in Hector Town Court.
The court ordered Timothy Skinner, 40, of Odessa to pay restitution
of $2,650 by Jan. 1, court officials said. The case has been adjourned
until the fine is paid, they added.
Seneca County Sheriff's deputies charged Skinner and Kyle Jacobs, 23,
of Alpine with misdemeanor animal cruelty in connection with the
shooting of two bison Sept. 3 on Newton Road in Hector, sheriff's
officials said. Each man shot a bison, they added. The bison belonged to
George Reynolds, one of the owners of Glenwood Farms in Ulysses, where
the bison are raised for meat. In late July, Reynolds reported that the
farm's 17-head herd of bison had escaped.
At the time, Reynolds said he believed the herd was let out
deliberately and spooked, but he didn't know by whom.
Sheriff's officials said an anonymous tip led them to Skinner and
Jacobs. The pair shot the two bison, dressed them in the field and put
the meat into cold storage, they added. Only the owner had the right to
harvest the bison, or to authorize someone else to do it, the officials
said.
Jacob has not entered a plea, and his case has been adjourned until
Dec. 17, court officials said. Reynolds could not be reached for comment.
