Efforts by officials to combat the ongoing poaching of mule deer in the Pinedale region of northwestern Wyoming has netted two more poachers, officials said Friday.
Michael J. Meeks of Pinedale and Cody R. Post of Riverton were convicted in the 2006 Halloween night poaching of a trophy buck mule deer west of Pinedale.
Officials said that the convictions are another effort to protect the mule deer that spend the winter in the Pinedale-Big Piney-LaBarge area.
“We end our hunting seasons when we do to protect these animals during the winter months when they are most vulnerable,” said Brad Hovinga, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s game warden in Big Piney area. “After years of trying to bring our mule deer numbers back up, any loss is disturbing, but especially when it’s a blatant illegal shooting like this.”
Both men were charged with taking the antlered deer out of season, using an artificial light when they poached the animal and abandoning the game meat.
The pair used .17-caliber rifles to kill the trophy-class deer.
They were each sentenced to $8,540 in fines and restitution, totaling $17,080. Both lost their hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for 5 years. In addition, two .17-caliber rifles with scopes, ammunition, a knife and a flashlight were confiscated and forfeited to the wildlife department.
Hovinga said the two judges who presided over the cases “sent a clear message that the poaching of mule deer will not be tolerated in Sublette County.”
Poaching has been an ongoing problem around Pinedale.
In July 2004, three mule deer were shot and killed with bow and arrow and left in the town of Pinedale where they died.
Subsequently Landen Wisell, who became known locally as the “Pinedale Poacher,” was charged in connection with the poachings and pleaded guilty along with a co-defendant, identified as Cody Callison, to numerous charges, including a felony charge of destroying state property, which in this case was the wildlife.
The investigation into Wisell and Callison revealed they had illegally killed four mule deer, a bull moose and a buck antelope in June and July of 2004, state officials said.
Wyoming game wardens Dennis Almquist and Herb Haley described the actions of Wisell and Callison as “one of the most egregious poaching sprees” either had investigated.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
