Local Poachers Busted By Deer Decoy

KAMIAH - In response to numerous complaints from landowners concerning trespass and road hunting in the Kamiah area, conservation officers for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game used artificial simulated animals, known as ASAs, to apprehend two wildlife law violators. During the 2002 deer hunting season, Mathew Dewey of Kooskia shot a deer ASA from a truck while on a busy county road. He used a .22 caliber fire, which is illegal for big game, and did not have a valid hunting license or deer tag. At the time of the violation, Dewey was wanted by law authorities on an unrelated warrant and was arrested by the Fish and Game officers. Dewey entered a plea agreement in Idaho County and received $242 in fines and two years license revocation. The driver, Kenneth Bergman was also charged with aiding in the crime. In another case, Cladean Trombetta of Nez Perce, shot at the deer ASA without getting out of the truck and did not have his deer tag with him. Trombetta told the officers that he was not planning on hunting that day and was going to town to buy more shells, shooting his last five shells at the ASA. Trombetta entered a plea agreement in Lewis County and received a $642 fine, two years license revocation and 70 days in jail. The use of such tools have been upheld in court systems across the country as legitimate method of apprehending violator and has aided in reducing illegal hunting activities. At least 41 states and several Canadian provinces have been using them since the late 1980s. "Many things that road hunters do are bad for the image of all hunters," said Sr. Conservation Officer Roger Westfall of Kamiah. Though the majority of hunters follow the law, trespass and road hunting are two of the leading causes of poor hunter image. IDFG reminds hunters that shooting from or across a public road is unsafe at any time, and hunting from a motorized vehicle violates the laws of fair chase. Many citations issued to road hunters who violate game laws include spotlighting, trespassing, shooting from a motorized vehicle, shooting across roads and waste of game. The penalties for shooting an ASA can include a mandatory license revocation, fine up to $1,000 and a jail sentence of up to six months.