ThinkingAfield.org

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is concluding a two-year long investigation into illegally harvested and dealt ginseng. The operation involved the illegal trafficking of ginseng in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, New York, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. The operation was conducted in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The investigation, which ran from 2018 to 2020, spanned 21 Ohio counties and resulted in 110 defendants being charged with a combined 259 violations. Charges included the illegal harvest of ginseng, falsification or failure to keep ginseng records, illegal purchase of ginseng, and harvest of ginseng without permission. During the investigation, seven individuals were charged for the manufacture, possession, or sale of illicit drugs.

Defendants in the case combined to pay $76,178 in fines and $21,633.05 in court costs, with an additional $20,871.68 in cash being forfeited. Courts ordered a total of 7,986 days of jail time; 2,068 days were served, and the rest was suspended. Those charged with drug-related crimes were ordered to serve 12 to 15 years in prison. Additional penalties included probation, community service, home confinement, suspension of ginseng dealer permits, and suspension of digging ginseng. Read more

Game Warden K9 Gordon and Game Warden Preston Pomerleau located a missing 64-year-old man early Thursday morning after he became lost behind the vacation house he was renting while looking for moose tracks.

At approximately 10:15 last night, the Maine Warden Service received a call that Donald Cook, age 64 of Harrisburg, Virginia, was reported missing by his family. The family had returned home to their rental place at about 3:30 and Cook was missing, and they could not find him despite searching for several hours.

Several game wardens responded to the scene to search for Cook at approximately 11:00 p.m. last night, including a warden K9. K9 Gordon and Warden Pomerleau searched the area, and after nearly two hours of searching, K9 Gordon located Cook in the woods at a little after 1:00 a.m. this morning, approximately one half mile from the rental home.

Cook was dehydrated and cold. Game Wardens gave Cook some water, and warm clothes, then assisted him out of the woods. Cook said he had gone out back to look for moose tracks, but got lost after he left the trail behind the house. Cook was examined by emergency medical personnel from Caribou Ambulance but did not need to be transported to the hospital and he was released.

The Maine Warden Service was assisted by the Aroostook Sheriff’s Office and caribou ambulance. This release will be updated if more information becomes available.

Private landowners from Missouri recently attended a workshop to learn about the importance of private land habitat management and the programs available to facilitate it.

The NWTF recently partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation to host 17 private landowners on a field-tour workshop in Wright County, presenting information about active management and its benefits for private landowners.

“While the terms forest and woodland are often used to mean the same thing in everyday language, they are two distinct habitats,” said Will Rechkemmer, NWTF Missouri wildlife biologist. “Forests have a predominately closed canopy and allow little light to reach the ground. Woodland habitats, however, have an open canopy that allows sunlight to reach the forest floor and allows native grasses and wildflowers to flourish, creating the early successional habitat that wild turkeys and many other species need. It enhances overall ecological value while providing landowners with better wildlife viewing and hunting opportunities. Restored woodlands also provide high quality nesting and brooding cover for wild turkeys, which is severely lacking across the landscape.” Read more