Indiana Conservation Officer Dustin Whitehead recently culminated a week-long investigation on reports of a pair of teens who had shot numerous illegal deer this season.
 

An Oxbow Park Ranger on Christmas night first noticed the suspicious activity, and an Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department deputy gathered more information on the two suspects and forwarded it to Whitehead.

Whitehead’s investigation led him to 18-year-old Dylan Nissley of Goshen, Ind., and a 17-year-old accomplice. Whitehead set up and conducted interviews with the two suspects at the sheriffs’ department regarding the allegations.

Nissley admitted to shooting three antlered deer in Kosciusko County as well as assisting with the unlawful taking of the doe deer in Oxbow Park in Elkhart County. He took over his limit of antlered deer by two.

Nissley’s accomplice admitted to shooting two antlered deer in Kosciusko County, also putting him over his legal limit for antlered deer for the season by one.

He also admitted to shooting a doe illegally in Kosciusko County as well as illegally shooting the doe in Oxbow Park in Elkhart County on Christmas night with his crossbow.

The two suspects were also charged with numerous counts: taking deer with the aid of an artificial light, taking deer with the aid of a motor-driven conveyance, hunting before or after legal hours, taking over their limit of antlered deer for the season and failing to check in deer at an official check in station within 48 hours, just to name a few.

In all, 16 misdemeanor charges will be filed by Whitehead in Elkhart and Kosciusko counties. Whitehead also seized two firearms and a crossbow, all subject to confiscation by the court upon conviction.

Whitehead said the case is an excellent example of local, county and state law enforcement working together to bring justice to the wildlife violators. The case likely would not have been made without the park ranger’s and sheriff deputy’s alert actions.

Whitehead asks anyone with information on wildlife and environmental crimes to report them anonymously by calling the poaching hotline at 800-TIP-IDNR (847-4367).

On Dec. 30, 2011, an Indiana conservation officer responded to information that a bobcat was illegally poached in Vigo County. When the suspect was questioned, 28-year-old Randy W. Paugh of Terre Haute stated he had shot a bobcat with his bow and arrow during deer season. A bobcat carcass was recovered from Paugh’s residence.

Paugh is now facing charges for the illegal killing and possession of the bobcat. In Indiana, the illegal harvest of a protected furbearer is a Class C misdemeanor.

A Class C misdemeanor is punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and a jail sentence of up to 60 days.

Any equipment used in the illegal taking of a protected furbearer is also subject to seizure.

Bobcats are considered to be protected furbearing mammals under Indiana law. The increasing number of bobcats in recent years has led wildlife managers to change the status of the bobcat from a “state endangered species” in 2005 to a “species of special concern.”

Although currently there is no season in Indiana to lawfully harvest bobcats, the possibility of a limited harvest may exist in future years. Optimistic about the bobcats’ future, DNR wildlife managers anticipate continued success for them in most areas of the state.

The time has come to search for Indiana’s weirdest trees. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) needs the public’s help to find our state’s woody weirdos.

The DNR Forestry Division is accepting submissions for its 2012 “Invasion of the Weird Trees” the online publication, which identifies the weirdest tree for each county and is updated every four years. Submissions can be any species of tree and size. The only requirement is that the trees are weird.

Past entries in Invasion of the Weird Trees have included trees swallowing signs, trees grown together like conjoined twins, trees with trunks twisted like a snail shell, trees resembling giant octopuses and trees with root systems so exposed it appears they might run away.

Entry deadline for this year’s search is April 30, three days after Arbor Day. To submit a tree, send at least two non-returnable photographs to: Sam Carman, DNR Division of Forestry, 402 W. Washington, Rm. W296, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Digital photos should be emailed to scarman @dnr.IN.gov

Along with the photos, be sure to include your name, address, phone number and the specific location of the tree, including the county. Based upon submitted photos, district foresters will narrow the field to the weirdest tree for each county, and the tress will be included in the 2012 Invasion of the Weird Trees, which should be available online in the fall.

To view the current Invasion, go to www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/files/fo- InvasionWeirdTrees_2008.pdf

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.