Elk Poachers Draw Stiff Penalties

Two southwest Idaho men received jail time, fines, license revocations and other penalties in a Valley County poaching case that began with tips from local residents. Donnelly resident Roger Craddick, 60, and Thomas Ackerman, 56, of Boise, pleaded guilty in January to multiple charges in Valley County Magistrate Court following a two-year Idaho Fish and Game investigation. The case was investigated by Fish and Game's Special Investigations Unit and local conservation officers from the McCall and Boise Districts. In October, conservation officers performed search warrants at both residences. The men were arrested on felony warrants from Valley County. Valley and Ada county sheriff's deputies assisted. The investigation started after Fish and Game officers received numerous tips from local citizens about the illegal hunting activities of a local Donnelly man. Investigators were taken on several illegal elk hunts and learned of other poaching activity going back several years. According to Special Investigations Unit supervisor Clay Cummins, "these subjects described to our investigators one of their prior hunts as an elk slaughter'. They also coached the investigators on how to take a bull elk during a closed season without detection". This case involved all the aspects of the poaching activity called "party hunting." As usual with party hunting, this case included taking overlimits of big game, transferring big game tags to another, and using big game tags of another. Cummins said "party hunting is a prevalent activity in Idaho. I think it shows a total lack of respect for the sport of hunting. I believe true sportsman have ethics, obey the wildlife laws, and respect the wildlife they hunt. This was definitely not apparent in this case." During searches of the men's homes, officers seized antlers from six elk and two deer. Two rifles and hundreds of photographs were also found. Marijuana found at Ackerman's home resulted in drug charges filed in Ada county. When the men entered guilty pleas in January, Ackerman pleaded to one count of exceeding the bag limit on elk. He received a $1,000 fine (with all $1,000 suspended), $911 court costs and restitution, $350 game processing fee reimbursement and a $2,250 civil penalty for a total of $3,511 in penalties. Additionally, he was sentenced to 15 days in the Valley County jail, had his hunting privileges revoked for three years, forfeited the antlers and was placed on two years probation. He is still facing drug charges in Ada County. Roger Craddick pleaded guilty to three counts of hunting elk without the proper tag, two counts of possession of unlawfully taken elk and one count of exceeding the bag limit on elk. He received a $6,000 fine (with all $6,000 suspended), $1,266 court costs and restitution, $1,050 game processing fee reimbursement and an $8,250 civil penalty for a total of $10,566 in penalties. He was also ordered to serve 30 days in the Valley County jail, with an additional 870 days of jail suspended, had his hunting privileges revoked for 10 years, forfeited his antlers and firearms and was placed on 10 years supervised probation. "Hard work, cooperation, and great follow-through brought this case to a successful conclusion", said Cummins. This case also illustrates the importance of the role that citizens play in protecting wildlife resources. According to local McCall conservation officer Kevin Primrose, "The tips received from local residents over a several-year period were critical in helping the Department of Fish and Game bring these poachers to justice. We simply could not have done it without their calls." Violations of wildlife laws can be reported to Citizens Against Poaching at 1-800-632-5999. Callers can choose to remain anonymous and may qualify for cash rewards, which can also be paid anonymously.