BAD
DAY IN COLUMBUS FOR HUNTER WHO TOOK MONSTER WHITE-TAIL DEER WHILE HUNTING ON
LAND WITHOUT PERMISSION.
On
September 17, 2015, the Ohio Supreme Court found that a Huron County hunter who
took a trophy white tailed deer must pay $27,851.33 because he did not have
lawful permission to hunt on the property where he took the deer.
Under
Ohio law, a hunter must have written permission to hunt on the land of another,
and keep that written permission on his person at all times. A violation of
that law carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine on a
first offense, and a 90 day jail sentence and a $750 fine on any subsequent
violations. If that’s not enough, Ohio law permits the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources to seek “restitution”, or a money judgment, for an
antlered-white tailed deer with a gross score of more than 125 inches.
The
Huron County hunter, who believed he had permission because he was hunting on a
relative’s property but did
not have that permission in writing, was found guilty of hunting without
permission, received a small fine, and the deer was forfeited to the State.
Afterwards, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources notified him he owed an
additional $27,851.33 for the buck that scored a whopping 228 6/8 inches! His
hunting license was immediately revoked and his right to hunt was suspended
until he pays the amount in full. The
Ohio Supreme Court upheld the law in its recent decision.
As
deer season approaches, make sure that you have proper written permission with
you while hunting on someone else’s land or it could be an extremely expensive
day in the woods!
Here
is a link to the Supreme Court’s decision:
Bryan
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