Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Poachers Filch Fauna, Forfeit $14K

Now that was expensive antelope meat... and they didn't even get to keep it!

South Dakota Game Fish and Parks announced Thursday that eight hunters have been fined $14,000 for a string of hunting violations. Conservation Officer Josh Carr stopped a big group of pheasant hunters in Stanley County for a routine license check. Officer Carr found the party had basically poached a whole bunch of antelope out in Butte and Harding counties. The perps and their fines (as listed by GF&P):

• Randy Malterud, 44, of Watertown, S.D. Fraud to obtain a big game license, unlawful possession of big game and failure to tag big game. Fines and court costs of $852, one-year loss of hunting privileges
• Glynn Grantham, 35, of Houston Texas. Misdemeanor violation of the Lacey Act, $525 fine, $8,000 in restitution
• Wesley Grantham, 42, of Hayti, S.D. Five counts of unlawful possession of big game, $500 fine and court costs, 30 days in jail, 30 days suspended, one-year of loss of hunting privileges
• Brian Willard, 42, of West Des Moines, Iowa. Misdemeanor violation of the Lacey Act, $525 fine, $3,000 in restitution and forfeit antelope meat
• Kenneth Willard, 68, of Wray, Colo. Misdemeanor violation of the Lacey Act, $525 fine and forfeit antelope meat
• Michael Schwartz, 39, of Watertown, S.D. Transportation of big game without head or hide, $127 fine and court costs
• Jonathan Fox, 29 of Cypress, Texas. Improper tagging of game, $135 fine and court costs
• Chad Olson, 38, of Watertown, S.D. Lending a big game tag, $300 fine and court costs, five days jail, five days suspended, one-year loss of hunting privileges

Key point from GF&P's Supervisor John Murphy: "Perhaps the most disturbing part of this incident was the number of youth involved in the hunt.... While none of the youth were charged with wildlife crimes, the actions of the adults in the group set a very poor example for the young hunters."

Poor example indeed. Jerks like this who take kids out to hunt and teach them they don't have to follow the rules make it awfully hard for South Dakotans who do follow the rules to maintain the trust of landowners, voters, and elected officials and continue the great tradition of South Dakota hunting. Hunters have an obligation to teach their kids respect: respect for their weapons, respect for the land, and respect for the law. If you can't handle that obligation, you can't handle a rifle or a bow.

p.s.: A genealogically inclined reader notes that Wesley Grantham of Hayti, S.D., is husband of Cindy (Arnold) Grantham, who is a campaign donor to and sister of South Dakota's GOP candidate for U.S. House Kristi (Arnold) Noem. Now we can't hold stupid behavior by a brother-in-law against a person, but uff da—one must hear some wild stories about run-ins with the law (and morals thereto) at Arnold/Noem/Grantham family reunions.