Individuals Pay Fines, Restitution And Lose Hunting Privileges Over Wood Duck Violations
Monday, December 22, 2008 | 02:17am
CAMDEN, Tenn. --- Nine individuals appeared in Benton County General Sessions Court Wednesday, Dec., 17, 2008, to answer to charges of taking over the limit of wood ducks and hunting over bait during Tennessee’s early wood duck season.
Standing before Judge Julian P. Guinn, the nine plead guilty to one count of taking over the limit of wood ducks and one count of hunting over bait. Judge Guinn accepted their guilty pleas and imposed fines, costs, ordered restitution and loss of hunting privileges on the following:
Charles W. Banes, Burns Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $2,000 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 4 years.
Joel Rumsey, Waverly, Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $2,000 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 4 years.
Chase Scurlock, Waverly, Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $2,000 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 4 years.
Jacob Scurlock, Waverly, Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $2,000 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 4 years.
Matthew Warren, Waverly, Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $2,000 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 4 years.
Jeff Warren, Waverly, Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $2,000 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 4 years.
Brad Mangrum, McEwen, Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $2,000 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 4 years.
Billy Mashaw, New Johnsonville, Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $200 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 1 year.
Brian Lee, Waverly, Tenn.: $669 fines and costs, $200 restitution, loss of hunting privileges for 1 year.
Another individual, Christopher Cole, of Camden, Tenn., plead guilty on Nov. 12, 2008 to two counts of taking over the limit of wood ducks and two counts of hunting over bait. Cole was fined $400 plus costs, $2,000 restitution and lost his hunting privileges for seven years.
The last individual cited to appear in court on charges connected to this case is Monty Daniel, New Johnsonville. His scheduled court date will be Jan., 7, 2009.
“This case is a prime example of what can happen when TWRA receives information from hunters who are not going to condone this type of hunting behavior,” stated Dave Gabbard, TWRA Region I Communications Coordinator. “Our officers received a tip that a group of individuals had killed a large number of wood ducks on the opening day of the early wood duck season from a duck hunter that received a photo on his cell phone. Acting on this information, our wildlife officers were able to locate the area that was baited and were able to catch these individuals hunting over it the next day.”
“The legal bag limit for wood ducks during Tennessee’s September wood duck season is two per hunter per day” said Gabbard. “Because of the excellent investigated work of our wildlife officers, these individuals were found to be in possession of 169 wood ducks.”