Michigan Hunter Convicted of Hunting Crimes - Receives Jail Time

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A fairly well known hunter in Michigan was convicted of several poaching crimes after it was discovered that he poached several species including endangered gray wolves and bald eagles. As part of his plea deal, he was issued a $36, 240 fine, received a 90 day jail sentence, 18 - 24 month probation following incarceration, and a lifetime ban on hunting. 

While I couldn't be happier that this jackass received jail time, I still find myself wondering if his punishment is harsh enough to truly send the right message about hunting endangered species. Many times in the past, I've spoken out about paltry sentencing that does absolutely nothing to deter future incidents and I can't help but think that this sentencing falls into that category. While he received fines and jail time, neither of them were particularly high and I'm certain he will get out of jail prior to the end of his sentence.

$27, 000 of the fines were retribution for animals poached but we're talking about endangered animals. Gray wolves are protected under the ESA which means that they are well known to be off-limits to hunters so this man being aware of those protections blatantly shot and killed 18 of these endangered gray wolves over an 18 month period. This means that over the course of 18 months, this man was aware that gray wolves were protected and disregarded those protections 18 times in order to satisfy his own urges to kill. In my opinion, this blatant disregard for conservation and the rules surrounding ESA protections for endangered species warrants a much stricter punishment than what he received.

We have to address conservation of endangered species head on and it starts with sending a clear and concise message that killing endangered animals is incredibly negligent, irresponsible, and an attack on the efforts of conservationists who work tirelessly to protect endangered animals. When we're talking about extinction, we're talking about no going back. This man contributed to the decline of the gray wolf population that is already facing countless perils in the wild. This man knowingly shot and killed animals that are facing the possibility of extinction and he receives a jail sentence that he will undoubtedly only serve a fraction of.

Each count of slaughtering an endangered animal should come with a minimum jail sentence and fine that grows with every additional endangered animal killed. This man should be in jail for at minimum, 1 year and his fines should reflect the severity of the situation. The only part of his sentence that is appropriate is the lifetime ban on hunting but I am not 100% sure how that is monitored so I can't comment further on whether I believe it is strict enough. Much like a ban on owning animals after a cruelty conviction, I can see many opportunities to illegally obtain a pet so I find myself wondering if it's also possible to hunt under the radar.

Look, I am definitely happy that this case garnered necessary attention to the plight of endangered wolves and I'm also happy that this hunter received an actual punishment outside of getting a slap on the wrist but I also feel like there was more jail time and fines that should have been applicable given the nature and severity of his case. 

What do you guys think?

HAPPY VEG