Does “No Spotlighting” Mean You Can’t Use City Street Lights To Hunt Either?

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This wouldn’t happen in just any city in America.   FWP warden Brian Golie of Billings was called to the 1900 block of Natalie Lane on December 29, 2000 at 1:30 a.m. to investigate a report of a deer shot and left in the witness’s yard.   “I found a dead, four-point whitetail buck shot with a large caliber rifle,” Golie said.   Golie remained in the area and left his cell phone number with the resident in case the suspects reappeared. At 3:10AM the resident called reporting that the suspects had returned on foot with flashlights looking for the deer.

Golie radioed the sheriff’s dispatch for help and officer Brian Anderson responded.   Anderson and Golie searched the area without success.   Golie returned at daylight to search again for footprints and tracked the suspects through several yards and over fences to a large 8-foot chain link fence where the trail ended.   Golie found bloody handprints on the fence but when he went around the house to ring the bell there was no response.

Mid-day, Warden Kevin Schaal and Golie found the residents home and explained that they were investigating a wildlife crime.   The homeowner allowed a search of his yard and the warden collected the blood evidence from the chain link fence.  

“We determined that a father and son lived at the house.   The son was home and he stated that a friend had visited the evening before.   The young man became very nervous when the wardens questioned him further about the previous night.  

“I took his father outside and explained the severity of the violations,” Golie said.   “When I went back in a side door I noticed fresh blood on the door knob.”

Golie confronted the son with the blood evidence and he confessed that he was present when his friend shot the deer with a 30-06 rifle.   A young woman was also there.   During the investigation, a deputy found drug paraphernalia in one young suspect’s pants pocket.  

It turned out, in further investigation that nine deer were shot in and around Billings in December, when the season was closed, and four young men were involved.    One of the deer was shot with a bow and arrow behind the Billings Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks building!

As a result of the parent’s cooperation, the suspects, charged with several wildlife violations, received more lenient sentences.   Three young men lost their hunting privileges for two years.   One lost his for five years and was placed on probation, and ordered to complete drug counseling and to retake hunter safety.  

All though the deer were all shot in the Billings urban area near homes, law enforcement only received one complaint from homeowners!     

 

Post Script:

Witnesses alerted Warden Brian Golie that two of the young men charged in this case were collecting antlers at Yellowstone National Park several months later. One was on probation for an earlier homicide and the other for the deer he shot within the Billings city limits.   The deer poacher testified against the young man on probation for homicide reducing his own sentence to $3,000 for the elk antlers, $500 for obstructing justice,   and a loss of hunting privileges until the year 2012.   The young man on probation for homicide was sentenced to 25 years in prison.