Ohio Black Bear Poachers Apprehended in Nicholas County WV
By West Virginia Conservation Officers.
West Virginia DNR
West Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- A lengthy bear poaching investigation was brought to a conclusion Oct. 22 and Oct. 25, when West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) conservation officers and Wildlife Resources personnel apprehended a group of eight hunters in Nicholas County for using bait to lure black bear into sites where they could be shot from elevated and camouflaged stands. It is illegal to bait black bear in West Virginia.
“This group of hunters, all of whom were residents of Ohio, had been participating in this type of illegal activity for a period of several years,” said Capt. Michael Waugh of the WVDNR District 3 Office in Elkins. “They had purchased their bait, which consisted of donuts and corn, from multiple out-of-state vendors. The bait was then hauled into the area by truck and distributed to the bait sites using all-terrain vehicles. This out-of-state purchase and interstate transport of the bait is believed to have been an effort on the part of the poachers to conceal the quantities of bait, the purposes for which it was being purchased, and to avert suspicion in the areas they were baiting.”
Seven baited shooting sites were located by Conservation Officers D. Duffield, T.L. White and Wildlife Manager Tom Pratt when they entered the woods in Nicholas County near Summersville. On Oct. 22, five of the hunters were apprehended at a cabin used as a base camp from which to stage these illegal activities. As the individual hunters were located and removed from the elevated shooting platforms, Sgt. C.R. Johnson conducted interviews which led to additional information and the discovery of multiple baited black bear kills from previous years.
Two large adult black bears were seized at the base camp location as well as large quantities of bait stored for future use. The first was a large male bear that was estimated to weigh in excess of 240 pounds. The second was a large three-to-four-year-old female estimated to weigh more than 130 pounds. Two additional black bears were killed at the bait sites earlier and had already been removed from the base camp to locations outside the borders of West Virginia. Requests for assistance in recovering these black bears have been made to the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the provisions of the Lacey Act.
In conjunction with the Nicholas County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, charges were lodged against the participants in this illegal baiting scheme on Friday, Oct. 23. The suspects chose to enter pleas to these charges at the arraignment.
The charges lodged included:
- David B. Moore, Felicity, Ohio – two counts of hunting bear over bait, fines of $2319 and 100 days in jail suspended, contingent upon payment of fines and costs.
- Eric W. Lykins, Loveland, Ohio – one count of killing a bear over bait on 10/21/09 and one count of hunting bear over bait on 10/17/09, fines of $2319, replacement costs of $500 and 100 days in jail suspended contingent upon payment of fines and costs.
- James E. Moore, New Richmond, Ohio – two counts of hunting bear over bait, fines of $2319 and 100 days in jail suspended contingent upon payment of fines and costs.
- Frank J. Burns, New Richmond, Ohio – one count of killing a bear over bait on 10/23/09 and one count of hunting bear over bait on 10/17/09, fines of $2319, replacement costs of $500 and 100 days in jail suspended contingent upon payment of fines and costs.
- Carl M. Ramsey, Amelia, Ohio – one count of killing a bear over bait on 10/21/09 and 1) count of hunting bear over bait on 10/17/09, fines of $2319, replacement costs of $500 and 100 days in jail suspended contingent upon payment of fines and costs.
The investigation continued and, on Oct. 25, three additional Ohio residents were found by DNR Sgt. C.R. Johnson, CO T.L. White and CO Dwayne Duffield and cited for violations of the West Virginia bear law.
They are:
- Randy Durbin, New Richmond, Ohio – one count of taking a black bear over bait on 10/17/09 and one count of hunting black bear over bait on 10/25/08. Durbin was arraigned by telephone and entered a plea to these charges on 10/26/09. He was assessed a penalty of $2,319 and a $500 replacement fee. This individual surrendered the remains of one black bear to the conservation officers.
- Anthony Parker of Sardinia, Ohio – cited for one count of taking a black bear over bait on 10/19/09 and one count of illegally possessing parts of a black bear on 10/20/09. His arraignment is pending. This individual surrendered the remains of one black bear to the conservation officers.
- Robert Bradford of Amelia, Ohio – cited for one count of hunting black bear over bait on 10/27/08 and one count of illegally possessing parts of a black bear on 10/20/09. His arraignment is pending
Also, based upon information provided by Sgt. Johnson, on 10/26/2009, David Moore of New Richmond, Ohio, surrendered parts of three black bears that had been taken over bait in West Virginia to Ohio wildlife officers. No charges have been filed at this time.
“This investigation serves as a classic reminder that the Division of Natural Resources and its employees are ever mindful of their charge to protect the natural resources, including the wildlife, of the State of West Virginia for the benefit and enjoyment of our citizens and their children,” said Capt. Waugh.
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