Wyo. Atty General hunting violation

[Nemont]

September 22, 2004

Wyoming attorney general pleads guilty to hunting violation
By BOB MOEN
Associated Press Writer

CHEYENNE -- State Attorney General Patrick Crank pleaded guilty and paid a $210 fine Wednesday for a hunting violation in which his son illegally shot a female moose last weekend.

Saying it was a "stupid mistake" and a "humbling experience," Crank mailed papers to the Lincoln County Circuit Court, pleading guilty to being an accessory to the taking of the wrong sex of a moose and paying off the citation.

In a letter to Circuit Court Judge Frank J. Zebre, Crank said he was hunting with his son around dusk last Saturday in western Wyoming when they mistook a cow moose for a bull moose and shot it. His son had a state license to shot a bull moose but not a cow moose.


"We spotted some moose near dark, believed one of the moose was a bull, and I told my son to shoot the animal we believed was a bull," he wrote. "...After he shot the animal, and it had rolled down the hill, we discovered that he had killed a cow moose."

They field dressed the moose, filled out the bull moose license and reported the violation to state Game and Fish Warden Todd Graham from Alpine.

The next day, after meeting at the kill site, Graham issued the citation to Crank and a warning to his son for killing the wrong sex moose.

"He let us keep the moose rather than seize the animal," Crank noted.

Crank said the warden was fair and could have issued citations to both.

"I appreciate Mr. Graham agreeing to issue me the citation in that I know that my son would not have shot at the moose unless I told him to do so," he said.

"I am the person ultimately responsible for this stupid mistake," Crank wrote. "I obviously got more excited about my son being able to harvest a moose than I care to admit and failed to recognize that the light was too dim for us to accurately determine whether the moose was a cow or a bull."

"Life is frequently a humbling experience," Crank told the judge. "I will not soon forget my mistake on Sept. 18, 2004. Thank you."

 

[Delw]

I sorry but you have to be a real dope to shoot the wrong antlered animal.


only thing I can understand would be shooting at male missing and hitting a female, even then your shoulkd be responcible of your target and where the bullet or arrow goes afterwards.


Delw

 

[Wyodeerhunter]

I'm glad to see that they reported their violation and even more that they actually saved the animal. It happens all too frequently that if someone shoots the wrong sex of animal they will just leave the meat to go to waste(figure of speech, im sure all the coyotes birds etc love it).

Shooting the wrong sex of animal happens all too often, espically with someone who is hunting just for the meat and will shoot a small buck/bull.

I saw on a show one time that mule deer have hair that line their ears and in the right light it can make it look like a small spike or 2pt buck. I'm sure that many hunters have shot small "bucks" only to turn out they are does or vice versa.

One time my mom shot a moose that turned out to be a bull, and she had a cow tag. The only thing was that the bull had broke off both of his paddles. That is why Wy states "antlerless tags" not "cow moose" tags.

I'm just glad the adult did the responsible thing to show his kid what the right thing to do in a wrong situation. Doesn't matter if he is att. general of WY or he flips burgers at Burger King....

Ernesto

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Well, Been there, done that. Last year my buddy and I were trailing some tracks up a ridge and jumped some Mule Deer, I swung on what I thought was the Buck, Bang! Doe down! Never saw her get up, I was sick. My buddy shot the 6x7 Mulie just down the ridge. I field dressed the Doe and called the game warden, Mike Reid, nice fella considering the Hell he was putting up with that week, people shooting spike bulls as cows and leaving them. Anyway we met and he took my tag and I paid a $67.00 fine, which went for the processing of the doe. Later, when we took my buddy's Buck in to be processed the Game Warden drove up and a woman signed a form to receive the Doe I had shot. I spoke to her and she said her family really could use the meat. So, I made a mistake, but it sure was neat to listen to a woman talk about her needs for her family and how my mistake helped her out. One of the best shots I have ever made! I hope the young fellow that shot the moose learns not to make that mistake again and that it was'nt a who's your daddy type of deal. Draftstud

 

[Michaelr]

The best part of the story is that they took responsibility for their mistake.

Most would have walked away, and left the moose to rot.

 

[Ten Bears]

I'm sure you're right Mike. Good to see he took responsability for what he did. Of course you all know he'll be labeled here at SI as a criminal now (by some).

 

[cjcj]

You guys are right ,most just leave them to rot, i have seen fresh dead spikes during cow season. He did the right thing, but i do have to agree it`s hard to make that mistake.