Michigan: Washtenaw County man serving jail term for hunter harassment incident in Marquette County
Thomas Steele III, 23, of Chelsea is serving a 60-day sentence in the Marquette County Jail after pleading guilty to intentionally sabotaging a hunter’s tree stand.
Steele recently pleaded guilty in Marquette County Circuit Court to misdemeanors of aggravated assault and hunter harassment under a plea agreement.
Additionally, Steele must reimburse the victim’s medical expenses for injuries sustained in a fall from his tree stand. He must also serve a one-year probation term.
Steele’s hunting privileges were revoked for an undetermined amount of time. With Michigan a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator’s Compact, Steele’s right to hunt will also be revoked in nearly all 50 states.
| “Hunter harassment is real and taken very seriously,” said Dave Shaw, chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division. “Most hunters respect the land and each other and take pride in an ethical hunt.
“The DNR hopes that by sharing the details of this case, we can bring awareness to the consequences of this person’s unethical and dangerous behavior and know that it will not be tolerated.” Incident detailsThe harassment began in October 2020 on state hunting land in Marquette County. A local Upper Peninsula hunter arrived at his tree stand one day and found a note on his trail camera, stating that he was set up in Steele’s hunting spot. Read more |