Hunting season is over forever for a Michigan man who pleaded guilty to numerous wildlife crimes following an extensive investigation.
The poacher aka (a**hole) has lost his hunting license forever and will spend 3-months in jail for the crime(s).
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced on Wednesday that Kurt Johnston Duncan had been sentenced under a plea agreement after pleading guilty to seven poaching crimes in September. He pleaded guilty to three counts of the illegal take for the possession of wolves, three counts of the illegal take for the possession of bald eagles and one count of illegal commercialization of a protected species (wolf).
The 56-year-old has been convicted of 125 misdemeanor wildlife crimes over an 18-month period. The crimes were all committed against a range of animals such as wolves, bald eagles, deer, a turkey and a bobcat.
In a May statement, DNR detectives said that Duncan was trapping the wild animals because he could, and was using the creatures for crafts and sales, or simply disposing of them.
Duncan been ordered to spend 90 days in jail with 18 to 24 months on probation, and pay $36,240 in fines: $27,000 for reimbursement for the illegally taken animals, and $9,240 for court fees and costs.
All firearms and traps held by Duncan were also seized.
“This is a historical case for the division and department,” Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division, explained in a news release. “We hope this poaching case acts as a deterrent to criminals for committing future wildlife crimes such as this. Our officers did an excellent job working as a team and building this investigation so it could move quickly through the criminal justice system.”