Hunters poached hundreds of trophy deer at Ft. Campbell

In "one of the biggest" poaching cases Tennessee has ever seen, three Stewart County men face federal charges they illegally hunted down "hundreds" of big-game deer on Fort Campbell.

Curtis Wallace, 45, and Jim Edward Page, 43, both of Dover, and Wendell Taylor, 43, of Big Rock, have been charged with several federal poaching-related charges.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Officer Jereme Odom said Wednesday that TWRA will hold a press conference Friday to display the trophy deer — "lots of deer that are massive deer" — and all other seized property, including vehicles, rifles and other hunting equipment.

The men were taken into custody Nov. 26 in the rear area of Fort Campbell near Angels Road and adjacent to Range 25, a small-arms impact area.

The federal charges can be changed and consolidated under the Lacey Act, which governs the taking and transport of wildlife, Fort Campbell spokeswoman Kelly Dewitt said.

Odom said a fourth man also will be charged, and complete charges for all four have not yet been released.

So far, Fort Campbell has charged:

# Wallace with trespassing on a military installation, hunting without a state license, not having permission of the land owner to take big game, 16 counts of illegal taking of game, not wearing hunter's orange, 16 counts of taking wildlife by an improper method, providing a false official statement, violation of the Lacey Act, and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon.

# Page with trespassing on a military installation, hunting without a state license, four counts of illegal taking of wildlife, not wearing hunter's orange, four counts of taking wildlife in an improper manner, providing a false official statement, violation of the Lacey Act and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon.

# Taylor with violation of the Lacey Act, 13 counts of illegal taking of wildlife, trespassing on a military installation, making a false official statement and not having permission of the land owner to take big game.

The federal trespassing charge carries a fine and six months imprisonment, or both, while making a false official statement could lead to a five-year federal prison term.

Dewitt said Fort Campbell is hunter-friendly, as long as it's done legally.

"In fact, we encourage hunters to register to hunt here," she said in a statement.

On average, more than 10,000 hunters take advantage of Fort Campbell's "robust" deer population on some 60,000 acres, and nearly 13,000 hunters have signed up since the middle of September.

Hunting permits are $25 for a big-game permit for the season. Bag limits are two does and one buck, and do not count against state bag limits.

Hunters and fishermen must have a valid license from Kentucky or Tennessee, as well as a Fort Campbell post permit.

Santa has no deer now!!!!!

dAMN!!!

They were hunting in a back area of the camp that contains about 1800 acres that's used for small weapons firing. It's never been open to hunting and the deer don't fear humans there very much and they grow to enormous size. In the areas on Fort Campbell that do allow hunting, only shotguns and archery are allowed. These guys were using rifles.

Here's the latest on it. Wallace already pled guilty and got what looks to me like a slap on the wrist. He still may be facing federal and Kentucky charges too though.

.......................
Hunters' dignity and honor were damaged by four men who are accused of hunting illegally at Fort Campbell for more than 10 years, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officers said Friday against a backdrop of 41 seized trophy deer.


The men, all in their 40s and from Stewart and Montgomery counties, are believed to have been poaching the deer for more than 10 years for nothing more than the antlers and back straps of the deer, the highest-quality meat on the animals.

"These men were not hunters like we think of in the traditional sense," said Doug Markham, information coordinator for TWRA.

Chris Nischan, a hunting and fishing guide in Tennessee and board member of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, said the men should not be considered hunters, but rather should be labeled as "killers and thieves" who might have had skill, but were not "ethical sportsmen."

"It gives hunters a black eye, no doubt about it," said Dale Grandstaff, TWRA officer and game warden.

Curtis Wallace, 45, of Dover, Wendell Taylor, 43, of Big Rock, Jim Edward Page, 43, of Clarksville, and Gregory W. Crockarell, 41, of Dover, have all been charged with dozens of offenses related to illegal hunting. The men will be charged both by state agencies and by the federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

So far Wallace is the only one to make an appearance in court. The rest are scheduled to appear in court in January.

Wallace pled guilty to the 20 charges of possession of illegal wildlife and 20 counts of violating tag requirements. His sentence included $2,500 in fines and court costs, a seven-year revocation of hunting and trapping privileges and a loss of all mounted deer, which TWRA valued at about $6,000, a 12-month probation. If he violates his probation, which includes hunting, a jail sentence will be sought.

Taylor has been charged with 14 counts of possession of illegal wildlife and 14 counts of violating tag requirements. He is set to appear in court Jan. 11. He had also been cited before for spotlighting deer, but that tactic was not believed to have been used in this case, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Officer Jason Godwin.

richardcatdaddy wrote:

dAMN!!!

,,,,ya what he said !

Holy crap, if they are ever able to hunt or fish again in their life time then the DNR should be put out of business, that is truly sad with a capital S.