Every once in a while, a news item comes along that makes you feel a little better about the world.
Late last week, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources got its first conviction under a new law designed to protect trophy bucks from poachers. Two men, 22-year-old Mike Chapman of Aurora and an unnamed juvenile from Tucker County, were fined $2,414.80 for shooting and killing a buck out of season.
The buck’s antlers — though still in velvet — measured nearly 16 inches at their widest point. The antlers’ size allowed Chapman and the juvenile to be prosecuted under the state’s new anti-poaching law, which requires higher replacement costs for bucks with bigger antlers.
The old law required a blanket $200 replacement fee for a deer of any size. The new law requires a supplemental $1,000 fee for a buck with antlers with spreads of 14 to 16 inches, $1,500 for bucks with spreads from 16 to 18 inches, $2,000 for bucks with spreads from 18 to 20 inches, and $2,500 for bucks with spreads greater than 20 inches.
Maybe now poachers will think twice before pulling the trigger.
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This is better, but there is always room for improvement.
How about $1,000 minimum + an additional $250 per inch of spread.
Heck, lets go with $500 per inch of spread…The cost can’t be too high in my opinion. Lets protect our herd!