Say it ain't so, Ted…
Word comes from California that rocker/hunter/activist Ted Nugent has pleaded no contest to two hunting-law violations and has been fined $1,750.
According to the account in the Marysville Appeal-Democrat, Nugent used a commercial deer-scent attractant during a hunt filmed for his “Spirit of the Wild” television show. That’s a no-no in California, which has strict rules about deer-baiting.
During the hunt, Nugent shot a spike buck — also a no-no. And then he failed to check the deer “at the nearest possible location,” yet another no-no. Prosecutors eventually dropped the spike-buck charge, but made the other two stick.
Reading between the lines of the news account, it appears Nugent might not have been aware that he was breaking any laws. Sorry, that’s no excuse. Uncle Ted should know by now that there’s a whole nation full of anti-gun, anti-hunting activists eager to pounce on his first slip-up.
When you’re in the public eye and you preach ethics and “rule of law,” you darned well better make yourself familiar with the laws of the places you hunt. Ted apparently didn’t, and he’s paid a price. I’m afraid, though, that the $1,750 fine he’s paid isn’t nearly as significant as the credibility he’s lost. Sadly, his enemies will beat him over the head with this for as long as he remains a public figure.
Hat tip: J.R. Absher at The Outdoor Pressroom.
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Hi folks:
I feel like I have been baited to respond to this. When are people going to stop picking on Ted. If he paid for his fine he was caught now you have to release him.
Not to excuse Ted, because you called it right -but there is a real need for the many states to write far less complex game laws and syncronizing them with neighboring states in most cases won’t effect the resource one iota, but will make life easier for the ones all this regulation is supposed to be about – Joe Citizen.
Here in New England we have regulations provided by bureaucrats that would make a wardens and lawyers drool and a sane man stay home.
Anyone who hunts and fishes these state with their myriad of confusion call fish and game regulations can ony be considered brave or well-connected. Not only are they targeting every body of water for seperate regs, but now they even dissect the water into untenable sections that have differerent rules for each and different date upon which those rules change. In most cases I’d bet the wardens can’t quote the rules, but then, that’s the least of America’s problems.
Been fishing and hunting since WWII days.
Wow… California is its own catagory of stupid laws. I’ve never even heard of those laws. What he did was legal in any other state I’ve ever hunted in. California needs to come back to reality and be practical with their laws. However I know Cali is its own special little league of rules and regulations.. California I think functions widely different then any other state. Its the only state in the union that doesnt have similarties like the others do. If I was Ted I wouldnt hunt in California anyway cause its not accepted there. California is too into materlistic things…busy cities.. and everyone drives a BMW… They need to come back to reality and live life a little more simple.
I sound like did not now law for that state he pad prich for it and wate herd that state hard up for money