Kentucky’s Fish and Wildlife Resources Department wants two men who were convicted in deer-poaching cases last year to pay a total of more than 12-thousand dollars in civil fines. One is from Virginia, the other from Nicholasville. Fish and Wildlife Captain Greg Watts said conservation officers can’t be everywhere and they rely on Kentuckians who observe illegal hunting to report it.
“Their ability to see things and know recognize things are obviously wrong. And for them to be willing to get involved in the call is paramount in our ability to do our job.
The department said poaching hurts sustainable opportunities for hunters and wildlife watchers – and communities that benefit from tourism by people who follow the law. Watts said some poachers say they’re just doing what their families have done for generations, but there are good reasons for laws about when and how animals can be taken.
“And I'll just tell them, you know, if everybody operated under the rules that you're talking about, pretty soon nobody would have any deer or wildlife.
State law allows the department to seek civil restitution along with criminal penalties and fines against deer and elk poachers.
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