A Trophy Ram, 9-years old, was poached in Idaho in November of 2015 according to The Spokesman-Review. The poacher was sentenced recently and has been banned from hunting for life in Idaho. The sentence may cross over to other states depending on how that state interacts with the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
The incident happened last November when Paul Cortez, 53, of Nampa killed the Big Horn Sheep near the Vinegar Creek river access of the Salmon river, which is hunt unit 19. Cortez was confronted by Idaho Fish and Game Department conservation officers and cited for the violation. He appeared in court in April 2016 and plead guilty.
In addition to the lifetime ban on hunting in Idaho, he also received a sentence of 30 days in jail, a $10,000 fine, 4 years probation, and he had to cover the court costs totaling $753.
This is what hunters have been calling for. Lets hope the stiffer sentence will deter poachers. With only 5 tags awarded this year in Idaho, this is a big kick in the teeth to those hunters who wait years and sometimes never get the chance to hunt a Trophy Ram.
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2 comments
10 grand in finds 30 days in jail should be enough lifetime band on hunting wrong
Nothing wrong with the lifetime ban, poachers of big game such as sheep should pay a hefty toll