Poachers Sentenced For Kansas Wildlife Crimes

A pair of men from Missouri have been sentenced for wildlife crimes in Kansas.

According to the Pratt County Attorney’s Office, 20-year-old Hunter Bottcher from Otterville Missouri and 20-year-old Samuel Hawieson from Sedalia, Missouri, appeared in court this week. Each pleaded guilty to seven separate Kansas wildlife violations, including Criminal Hunting, Hunting with the Aid of Artificial Light, Hunting with the Aid of a Motor Vehicle, Illegally Taking Trophy Big Game Deer, Hunting without Valid Deer Tags, Taking Wildlife after Legal Hours, and Illegal Ammo for Taking of Big Game.

The defendants were sentenced to sixty days in the Pratt County Jail and placed on a twelve month supervised probation. They were ordered to pay fines in the total amount of $18,200.00 and restitution in the amount of $4,361.06. The hunting licenses of the defendants are now suspended in 47 states and the equipment used in the crimes along with the two illegal deer heads were forfeited.

Kansas Game Warden Jason Harrold received a call from a community member on October 3, 2017 about a headless deer carcass found in Pratt County. An investigation led to the discovery of the suspects. Two big game trophy deer with inside spread over 16″ were illegally taken by the duo. Pratt County Attorney Tracey Beverlin commended Harrold for his “work and attention to detail which were instrumental in obtaining convictions.” Harrold “thanks the observant local members of the community who observed and reported this wasteful illegal killing of our wildlife.”