February 23, 2012
From WISHTV.com
BRAZIL, Ind. (WTHI) - Two Wabash Valley
men were arrested Thursday and now face more than two dozen charges
of illegal hunting practices.
The investigation started in
Clay County almost a year ago, 24-Hour News 8 news partner WTHI-TV
reports.
At the center of the investigation is a hunting
preserve, which is licensed and legal. What was happening on and
around the preserve is what the Department of Natural Resources say
is illegal.
According to DNR, the owner of Prairie Grove
Hunting Preserves, James Jacob, 37, Brazil, was conducting illegal
hunting practices from the location on Clay County County Road 425
West.
The charges include hunting at night, hunting near
roads, hunting out of season and using illegal tactics.
Ronald Hayne, 62, Terre Haute, was also arrested and believed to be
used as a hunting guide at the preserve for some of the illegal
work.
DNR confiscated three vehicles, a Kubota
mini-excavator, a number of firearms, one with a night vision scope,
and several different animal carcasses and remains.
The
illegal activity became a safety concern when hunters near roads
shot at prey after sunset.
"It's scary to think that people
are going to be not only doing something illegal from the roadway
and shooting, but at nighttime you're not going to see what's past
your target," DNR Public Information Officer Max Winchell said.
"It's just basically a good old-fashioned safety issue,” Clay County
Prosecutor Lee Reberger said. “If you're violating these kinds of
rules at night, it is reckless."
Jacob and Hayne face a
variety of misdemeanor charges, and Jacob faces at least one felony.
Those charges come with some potential time in prison if found
guilty, but more notable will be the fines. The state mandates that
violators of some of the laws pay fines for replacing the game that
was last. The usual fines are
$500 for the first and $1,000 for
each additional.
As for the preserve, the department is
still deciding on the status of its licensing.
No charges
are expected for those who hunted in the preserve.
Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material
whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. We believe
that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes
a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section
107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted
material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must
obtain permission from the copyright owner.
