By Glen Wunderlich
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)
Justin Ernst of Decatur, Michigan has earned a prominent position among wildlife poachers, as a result of illegally killing nine trophy bucks last year. After pleading guilty Monday in Van Buren County’s 36th Circuit Court, he’ll have plenty of time to ponder his crimes: 18 months to five years in a Michigan Department of Corrections facility. He can also figure out how he’s going to reimburse the state to the tune of $25,000 for his high-stakes adventures.
“We’re satisfied that this criminal will be imprisoned for robbing ethical hunters, damaging crops and endangering others by recklessly driving through fields and shooting deer at night,” said David Shaw, assistant chief, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division. “We hope this serious sentence serves its intended purpose and are grateful for the strong message rendered by the 36th Circuit Court.”
Whenever such reports are released, there is always the question of how much more criminal conduct could have been attributable to this one person. Are we to believe these acts of poaching were something new? And, if not, just how much of his illegal activity may have gone unreported over the years?
There is a movement afoot to learn the extent of unreported poaching and it’s gaining steam. During the recent Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) meeting, a Multistate Conservation Grant (MSCG) proposal to provide funding for the Boone and Crockett Club’s Poach & Pay Project was recommended for approval. Coordinated in conjunction with the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), Poach & Pay is the first comprehensive research project to review, assess, and address the level of illegal take of wildlife in our country.
Initial funding for this project was provided by the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Leupold & Stevens, Federal Ammunition, and Safari Club International along with a research and media partnership with International Wildlife Crimestoppers, Inc. The MSCG grant will support the research that is underway and, combined with additional partner funding, will allow for a coordinated public outreach campaign using the results of the research.
The first phase of the Poach & Pay research is attempting to quantify the degree to which wildlife violations go undetected by surveying and interviewing representative samples of hunters, landowners, conservation officers, and persons convicted of wildlife crimes. This past October, surveys were sent to 80,000 landowners, 80,000 avid sportsmen (defined as purchasing a hunting license in each of the past 5 years), and more than 1,000 conservation officers in the eight target states (Maine, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Oregon, and Nevada). These states were selected to maximize variability in location, urban/rural makeup, percent of public vs. private lands, species composition, and accessibility and quality of data.
Noted WMI’s Dr. Jonathan Gassett, lead researcher on the project. “A more comprehensive survey is being administered to law enforcement officers of the eight subject states to investigate their thoughts, opinions, and attitudes on the levels of illegal take of wildlife, as well as their experiences with the associated judicial processes.”
In the meantime poaching or other suspected natural resources violations can be reported by calling the Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
