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Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:04 pm
by Bercy
Seems mighty steep to me - but I couldn't find the actual charges or any facts in court records after a brief look:

Hunter fined $30,000 for knocking down corn stalks
Brian Broom, The Clarion-Ledger 3:29 p.m. CST December 10, 2015
Hunter gets steep fine for riding ATV through duck hole and toppling stalks of corn

A Greenville man pled guilty in federal court on December 8 to one count of taking migratory birds with the aid of bait and aiding and abetting others to do the same.
According to a media statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office, Northern District of Mississippi, Gene Stock, 36, had planted corn in a duck impoundment in Washington County. During the 2014-15 season, the statement said Stock used an all-terrain vehicle to retrieve downed ducks and to go to and from his blinds and moving blinds from one location to another. In doing so, he illegally knocked down corn stalks and scattered grain.
According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, "Federal law makes it unlawful to hunt migratory waterfowl over any area where agricultural crops have been manipulated, including manipulation by any motorized vehicle, unless the manipulation consists of a normal agricultural practice as defined by the state extension service."
Stock was ordered to pay $30,000 in fines.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:16 pm
by JaMak84
I'm pretty sure there's more to the story than just "toppling stalks of corn"

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:26 pm
by mshunter77
The fine had to be based off the number of birds illegally harvested.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:37 pm
by Bercy
Another article said:

he plead guilty to one charge of Taking Migratory Game Birds by the Aid of Bait and to a second charge of Aiding and Abetting others to do the same, in violation of federal law. . . . Following his guilty plea, Stock was ordered to pay a $15,000.00 fine for each count of conviction, for a total fine of $30,000.00.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:39 pm
by Chuckle12
No more to the story than stated in the article. It was not intentional manipulation. Follow the letter of the law boys.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:13 pm
by peewee
That's a bunch of crap.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:47 pm
by DanP
You know what they say about karma.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 9:42 pm
by mossyisland
May not sound major, but I was talking to a federal game warden the other day and he told me that was one of the main things they were looking before besides tagging ducks in transport. Be very careful with this guys.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 8:01 am
by DoublePslayer

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 8:04 am
by hntrpat1
sounds like he was doing it on purpose and i bet it is guide service.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 8:41 am
by Click

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 8:43 am
by torch
aiding and abetting I can attest he was "Guiding" I had my dealings with the feds and I don't have enough money to fight them.

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 9:37 am
by Click

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 10:03 am
by arduckslayer

Re: Don't manipulate your grain

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 10:24 am
by GulfCoast
Was this one "hunt," or several, and he plead to just one count? It seems epically over the top for picking up birds on a Ranger.