Idaho Ron
New member
This guy has been in the sights for a long time. He was brought down in Wyoming. This guy sound like a real HONEST man that had some bad luck,, YA RIGHT! I am glad to see him go down. Ron
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Buhl pastor pleads guilty in poaching incident
Originally published Saturday, May 1, 2004
The Times-News
BUHL -- A poaching incident in Wyoming will cost the pastor of a Buhl church his hunting privileges for 15 years, a hunting rifle and $11,670 in fines and restitution.
Earl Jenkins, 50, pastor at the Buhl Free Will Baptist Church, pleaded guilty in Wyoming to trespassing, wanton destruction of a big game animal, taking an antlered deer without a license and two counts of taking a deer without a license, according to a press release issued this week from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Jenkins and a fellow pastor, William Phillips of West Jordan, Utah, were convicted in connection with an incident in October near Evanston, Wyo., in the southwest part of that state. In all, four deer were killed with just one license, and two of the deer were wasted, the press release said.
Jenkins said Friday that with one exception, he made honest mistakes.
"Basically, I did some things that was wrong, but I didn't intend to do it," he said. "It was just a comedy of errors that would have been funny if it was somebody else."
Jenkins said he remains pastor of the Buhl church, and his congregation knows about the poaching conviction. He plans to resign as state moderator of the Free Will Baptist Church, however.
Jenkins and Phillips were caught Oct. 1, 2003, trespassing on a private ranch south of Evanston, according to the Game and Fish press release. There were two four-point buck deer in the back of their pickup, and they weren't tagged. Phillips did have a license, but Jenkins didn't. Jenkins was cited for taking a game animal without a license, and the two deer were seized -- along with two Ziploc bags containing deer hearts and livers.
Two days later, the owner of the land where the two men were caught trespassing reported to the game warden that he found a spike buck that had been dumped less than 50 yards from where he had met the men. Game and Fish officers also found a 4-by-5 buck that had been shot and left, and they retrieved a bullet from it.
A search warrant was executed at Jenkins' house in Buhl by Idaho Department of Fish and Game officers, and a rifle used in the incident was recovered. A similar search in Utah produced the gun used by Phillips.
According to the press release, Jenkins admitted in an interview that he killed the spike and the four-point buck taken from him Oct. 1, and shot at another "buck of a lifetime." He also admitted that he and Phillips had dumped the spike Oct. 1 when they saw a Game and Fish truck headed their way.
One of the Ziploc bags seized on Oct. 1 contained organs belonging to the spike, the press release said.
On Friday, Jenkins said he regretted dumping the spike.
"It was wrong, but I was just scared," he said. "I wasn't thinking. I absolutely wasn't thinking."
Jenkins said he assumed Phillips had bought a deer license for him, because he had given him a copy of his driver's license and his Social Security number. It was only after he shot the spike that he learned that his friend hadn't done so, Jenkins said.
Before he shot the spike, Jenkins said, he and his friend both shot at a massive buck. They looked for a couple of hours but couldn't find any indication that it had been hit. He said the 4-by-5 buck found later could have been the first one they shot at, but he did "everything I could think of to make sure" he hadn't hit the big deer.
Jenkins said one of the four-point bucks seized from the back of the pickup was one he subsequently shot because he thought it had been wounded by his friend.
As for the trespassing charge, Jenkins said he and Phillips didn't realize they were on private land.
Jenkins said he decided to plead guilty to the charges because it was getting too expensive to travel back and forth to Wyoming for court appearances, and because it was a way to assure that he wouldn't get jail time.
"I've got a congregation -- I couldn't run the risk of jail," he said. "Money's just money."
Jenkins' hunting privileges were revoked for 15 years not only in Wyoming, but in all states that are part of the Wildlife Violator Compact. Idaho is one of those states. In addition to the $11,670 in fines and restitution, he forfeited a 25-06 rifle used in the incident and was placed on three and a half years' probation.
Phillips pleaded guilty to trespassing, failure to tag a big game animal, and accessory to taking an antlered deer without a license. He was put on probation and ordered to pay $5,340 in fines and restitution, forfeited a Winchester 7mm rifle, and isn't allowed to hunt in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana or Colorado for five years.
Both men came from Oklahoma and are now living in church-provided housing in Buhl and West Jordan, the press release said.
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Buhl pastor pleads guilty in poaching incident
Originally published Saturday, May 1, 2004
The Times-News
BUHL -- A poaching incident in Wyoming will cost the pastor of a Buhl church his hunting privileges for 15 years, a hunting rifle and $11,670 in fines and restitution.
Earl Jenkins, 50, pastor at the Buhl Free Will Baptist Church, pleaded guilty in Wyoming to trespassing, wanton destruction of a big game animal, taking an antlered deer without a license and two counts of taking a deer without a license, according to a press release issued this week from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Jenkins and a fellow pastor, William Phillips of West Jordan, Utah, were convicted in connection with an incident in October near Evanston, Wyo., in the southwest part of that state. In all, four deer were killed with just one license, and two of the deer were wasted, the press release said.
Jenkins said Friday that with one exception, he made honest mistakes.
"Basically, I did some things that was wrong, but I didn't intend to do it," he said. "It was just a comedy of errors that would have been funny if it was somebody else."
Jenkins said he remains pastor of the Buhl church, and his congregation knows about the poaching conviction. He plans to resign as state moderator of the Free Will Baptist Church, however.
Jenkins and Phillips were caught Oct. 1, 2003, trespassing on a private ranch south of Evanston, according to the Game and Fish press release. There were two four-point buck deer in the back of their pickup, and they weren't tagged. Phillips did have a license, but Jenkins didn't. Jenkins was cited for taking a game animal without a license, and the two deer were seized -- along with two Ziploc bags containing deer hearts and livers.
Two days later, the owner of the land where the two men were caught trespassing reported to the game warden that he found a spike buck that had been dumped less than 50 yards from where he had met the men. Game and Fish officers also found a 4-by-5 buck that had been shot and left, and they retrieved a bullet from it.
A search warrant was executed at Jenkins' house in Buhl by Idaho Department of Fish and Game officers, and a rifle used in the incident was recovered. A similar search in Utah produced the gun used by Phillips.
According to the press release, Jenkins admitted in an interview that he killed the spike and the four-point buck taken from him Oct. 1, and shot at another "buck of a lifetime." He also admitted that he and Phillips had dumped the spike Oct. 1 when they saw a Game and Fish truck headed their way.
One of the Ziploc bags seized on Oct. 1 contained organs belonging to the spike, the press release said.
On Friday, Jenkins said he regretted dumping the spike.
"It was wrong, but I was just scared," he said. "I wasn't thinking. I absolutely wasn't thinking."
Jenkins said he assumed Phillips had bought a deer license for him, because he had given him a copy of his driver's license and his Social Security number. It was only after he shot the spike that he learned that his friend hadn't done so, Jenkins said.
Before he shot the spike, Jenkins said, he and his friend both shot at a massive buck. They looked for a couple of hours but couldn't find any indication that it had been hit. He said the 4-by-5 buck found later could have been the first one they shot at, but he did "everything I could think of to make sure" he hadn't hit the big deer.
Jenkins said one of the four-point bucks seized from the back of the pickup was one he subsequently shot because he thought it had been wounded by his friend.
As for the trespassing charge, Jenkins said he and Phillips didn't realize they were on private land.
Jenkins said he decided to plead guilty to the charges because it was getting too expensive to travel back and forth to Wyoming for court appearances, and because it was a way to assure that he wouldn't get jail time.
"I've got a congregation -- I couldn't run the risk of jail," he said. "Money's just money."
Jenkins' hunting privileges were revoked for 15 years not only in Wyoming, but in all states that are part of the Wildlife Violator Compact. Idaho is one of those states. In addition to the $11,670 in fines and restitution, he forfeited a 25-06 rifle used in the incident and was placed on three and a half years' probation.
Phillips pleaded guilty to trespassing, failure to tag a big game animal, and accessory to taking an antlered deer without a license. He was put on probation and ordered to pay $5,340 in fines and restitution, forfeited a Winchester 7mm rifle, and isn't allowed to hunt in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana or Colorado for five years.
Both men came from Oklahoma and are now living in church-provided housing in Buhl and West Jordan, the press release said.
