Outdoors Notebook | Poachers had the book thrown at them in two recent cases

A handful of poachers recently had the book thrown at them with one case involving a trophy buck killed out of season, and another for catching more than their share of potentially endangered rockfish.

Back on Nov. 10, 2007, at around 10 a.m., state Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers Nick Jorg and Lance Stevens were dispatched to a private property off Big Rock Road and Odell Road near Duvall to view a trophy four-point black-tail buck killed during a closed hunting season.

A witness told the officers that two young men from the neighborhood had shot the buck with a bow and arrow.

The shooter, Chad Leonard, and his accomplice, Kyle Deboer, initially wounded the deer, which ran across the street and almost got hit by a car, and then jumped over a fence stumbling into a field.

"The two were then seen attempting to gain possession of the buck on the private property as neighbors nearby watched," Jorg said.

The two suspects then got into their vehicle and kept driving back and forth on a road by the dying buck.

According to Jorg, when they arrived a witness told them he had lost count of how many times the suspects kept passing by in their vehicle.

"It was kind of comical," Jorg said. "The two were heading our way so we initiated a traffic stop, then they attempted to flee but eventually pulled over. Both men confessed to shooting the deer."

Upon arriving at the scene, Jorg said the shooter exclaimed: "Wow, it's even bigger than I thought it was."

"I asked him why he shot the deer, since it was about a week and half before the hunting season started," Jorg said. "He claimed he couldn't wait for the season to open. It was a crime of ego and greed, and he simply had to get it before anyone else. They wanted it for the trophy aspect."

Deboer's father told his son to not even think about shooting the neighborhood's tame pet deer nicknamed "Henry."

Leonard was charged with hunting big game in a closed season and hunting without a deer tag. Deboer faced the same charges, but as an accomplice to the crime.

Deboer took a plea deal instead of going to trial and was sentenced to five days of work-crew service and a fine of $635. Deboer has to retake a hunter-safety course, may not hunt or attempt to hunt or possess any weapons or hunting equipment for two years.

On the other hand, Leonard unwisely took the case to trial.

"It was pretty much a slam-dunk case [for the prosecuting attorney, Abigail Cromwell], who did a good job at the jury trial," Jorg said.

Leonard was sentenced to fines of $6,840, spent two days in jail and has to do three days of work-crew service and 40 hours of community service.

Judge Frank V. La Salata at the King County Redmond District Court also revoked all of Leonard's hunting privileges for two years. He must take a hunting-safety class, may not hunt or attempt to hunt, may not have any criminal violations and may not possess any weapons or hunting equipment for two years.

"The judge went somewhat lenient on [Leonard] for the dollar fines, plus he only spent two days in jail when it could have been 365 days," Jorg said. "We feel it was dealt handily and we should give a hand to the prosecutors staff because these kind of cases are awkward dealing with natural-resources law."

The trophy buck was eventually donated to the Snoqualmie Tribe for one of their elderly programs.

Talk about another brazen act of crimes against wildlife.

Back in late May, Erik Olson, a state Fish and Wildlife marine-enforcement officer, cited three fishermen at the Shilshole Bay pier for exceeding the limit of 41 red-rock crabs and for fishing during a closed season. One of them had a warrant for his arrest and was taken to jail.

Later that evening, Olson returned to the Shilshole Bay boat ramp and saw a truck parked right in front of the pier with the tailgate down and thought that looked odd.

Olson checked the truck's license plate and it was registered to one of the men he had ticketed earlier. Olson found a bag with 39 rockfish (2 inches to 15 inches), plus a perch, a catfish and four juvenile salmon.

The men said they had been fishing the Shilshole jetty rock wall up into the Lake Washington Ship Canal and only one had a fishing license.

Olson recently reported that all three subjects each bail forfeited $1,079 for commercial fishing in the second degree (a bail-forfeited offense is the equivalent to pleading guilty). They were also each ordered to pay $500 restitution to state Fish and Wildlife.

"I have been informed that it is very rare to get court-ordered restitution on a case that is bail forfeited, especially in King County," Olson said. "I went through two suppression hearings, which we won. The vessel and fishing gear were also seized for forfeiture, which they did not object to, therefore, it is now the property of the state."

The total fines and restitution was $4,737.