HARRISBURG – Two Dauphin County 19-year-olds became the first offenders to be charged under the new anti-poaching penalties, which took effect on Sept. 7, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission officials.
Pennsylvania State Police Troopers Greg Boyer and Nathan Hahn, who were on routine patrol, at 12:34 a.m., on Sept. 21, reportedly heard gun shots in the area of Mill Road and Carlson Road, in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County. Upon investigating the gunshot sound, Troopers Boyer and Hahn encountered Robert A. Young, of Hummelstown, and Cody M. Shirk, of Grantville, traveling in a Dodge Ram at a high rate of speed. When the Troopers pulled over the two, Young and Shirk were in possession of an illegally-killed six-point buck, a shotgun and shells, a bow and arrow and a spotlight.
Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) Michael Doherty today filed the following charges before District Judge William C. Wenner against both Young and Shirk: one count of illegally killing a deer in closed season, which now carries a fine of between $1,000 and $1,500, up to three months in prison and the loss of hunting/trapping privileges for three years; one count of illegal possession of a firearm while spotlighting, which carries a fine of between $100 and $200; illegal use of a vehicle while hunting, which carries a fine of between $250 and $500; and one count of unlawfully driving on farm fields, which carries a fine of $50.
Additionally, the defendants could be accessed replacement costs of $800 for the deer.
“Thanks to the quick action of State Police Troopers Boyer and Hahn, we have filed the first charges against two poachers under the new penalty bill that took effect earlier this month,” said Richard Palmer, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Protection director. “We certainly hope that this case will send a clear message to other would-be poachers that the penalties they face are no longer simply a matter of a few hundred dollars, and that the new penalties will provide a strong deterrent to poaching.
“All Pennsylvanians, most especially law-abiding hunters who follow the laws and regulations established to ensure fair-chase, conserve wildlife and preserve our rich hunting and trapping heritage, are tired of these senseless crimes.”
Act 54 of 2010 was introduced as House Bill 1859, and sponsored by House Game and Fisheries Committee Chairman Edward G. Staback. The bill was approved by the House on July 21, 2009, by a vote of 196-3. The Senate, after making minor adjustments to the bill, approved the measure unanimously on July 3, 2010, followed by a 189-6 concurrence vote in the House also on July 3. The bill was then sent to Gov. Rendell, who signed it on July 9. Act 54 took effect on Sept. 7.