Is anyone else in Utah outraged?

berg · Feb 12, 2005

LAST EDITED ON Feb-12-05 AT 02:42PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-12-05 AT 02:42 PM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Feb-12-05 AT 02:41 PM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Feb-12-05 AT 02:12 PM (MST)

This article was printed in the SL Trib Thursday Feb 10th
this is the first I heard of Thomas hatch being invloved in poaching a trophy Bull Elk . Why is that man still in office?
Kind of like driving the bank robber to rob a bank and you don't get convicted?? whats up with that. I'd like to know more of the story, anyone got information? This guy is over some of our best counties ...his brother( poacher) is an Emery County Comissioner
http://se15.utahsenate.org/perl/spage/distall2003.pl?Dist28

Legislative budget cuts may force closures
By Joe Baird
The Salt Lake Tribune

"We can't figure out why our own appropriations subcommittee would cut the budget that contributes so much to the state's economy," he said, arguing that Utah's state park system returns $18 for every dollar the state spends
"The members of the board feel that some legislators undervalue the state parks system."
Or, perhaps nurse a grudge. The brother of Sen. Thomas Hatch, co-chair of the Natural Resources legislative subcommittee, was charged with poaching a trophy bull elk by DWR officers last year. The senator was with his brother when the bull was killed and was included in the investigation. Senator Hatch was never charged, but Ira Hatch was and later pled no contest.
"This year, for reasons everybody is aware of, Senator Hatch has a keen interest in law enforcement for personal reasons," said Debbie Goodman, a legislative lobbyist for the Utah Audubon Council. "We also understand that at least one of his constituents came to him with a personal issue about wildlife law enforcement. He legitimately raised those issues with the DWR and director Styler. I do not fault him for that."
Hatch also is sponsor of Senate Bill 198, which has not been introduced this session. That bill, according to Department of Natural Resources officials, calls for removing the law enforcement function from the agency.
Hatch on Wednesday dismissed any claims of personal bias, pointing to the wide support the budget proposal received from the subcommittee."

Full Article here:
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2562219

fatrooster · Feb 12, 2005

He was never charged????? Does this say something about our system? If you are a Senator its ok to break the law!!!! I hope that that the public tears this apart. fatrooster.

Russ · Feb 14, 2005

I have to disagree with you on this one. His brother shot the elk not him, it was supposibly an accident, anyway his brother is the one who shot the elk not him. I have personnally been in meetings with mr. Hatch, and he cares for wildlife, and I personnaly think that him being a senator will help wildlife. I am by no means saying it is ok to poach a bull, but make sure the person who killed the animal is the one to get the penalty, not the one watching, especially when he thought his brother was shooting a cow. The bull was in the middle of a bunch of cows. Take his brother to the cleaners, but don't go after someone who is innocent. He is a senator that cares for wildlife and will help wildlife in my opinion.

Tracker · Feb 14, 2005

He was never charged because he was not the one who shot the elk. It was an accident and they were the ones who went and reported it, what more can you do, accidents do happen and most would just walk away and hope not to get caught. It would be a sad day for hunters and wildlife if Senator Hatch left office. We need to make sure we know all the facts, not just pick up a news paper and round up the lynch mob.

berg · Feb 15, 2005

LAST EDITED ON Feb-15-05 AT 07:31PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-15-05 AT 07:26 PM (MST)

He was never Charged because the state could not prove he shot the Trophy Bull... Two guys out on horses in a remote area , one just happens to be a State Senator and the other a commissioner for the county.. They are in a remote area of Garfield county thinking they are alone and a Trophy bull goes down and the meat was wasted!
From the other article...
"Eyewitnesses had accused the senator of shooting the elk, but he was cleared of wrongdoing."
"The no contest plea is not an admission of guilt
We simply say we won't fight," said Hatch's attorney Marcus Taylor. "There's always a question in these game cases about exactly what happened."
As part of negotiations with special prosecutor Deputy Weber County Attorney Gary Heward, Ira Hatch will not lose any hunting privileges"
"Eyewitnesses accused the senator of shooting the elk, having identified the shooter as "the man on the gray horse," according to Taylor. But DNA analysis of horse droppings at the scene, along with tracks, shell casings, topography and available line of sight all ruled out the senator.
"It was probably an innocent mistake on the part of the eyewitnesses," Taylor said.
- Stephen Hunt

An accident ?... if it was an accident ...how do you explain...
*Hired a big time Lawyer and fought the charges for a accident ?
*Flock shooting into a herd ?
*$500 fine
*No hunting privileges lost?
*This would have never hit the paper had there not been an eyewitness and even the eyewitness was discredited"

Believe what you want... In my opinion it should have never happened. Both those guys are long time hunters... they got off . Their word against the eye witness.
Had it been another cow killed or a spike or small bull... I would maybe in a long shot buy the alibi... but a Trophy bull killed and left to waste... NO WAY! The only way he could have been found guilty was if there had been a witness riding the same saddle with him.
So did they swap rifles, horses, clothes .. change the story.. confuse the witness...

No it was a simple accident and they are sorry....

I guess i am jaded...Long story Short.. I drew a permit in Spanish Fork Canyon on the Avitaquin White river unit years ago ..I saw lots of small bulls and tons of cow elk. . I had been checked earlier by 2 DVWR officers. I was the only hunter in the drainage. I was on reservation ridge near cat peak. They told me I should get out before I could not drive out due to a storm..This was the last day of the season. I heard 3 shots at dusk..I hiked toward the shots came upon two fresh killed cows with just the shoulders and hind qrts being loaded on quads by the 2 Officers. Guts still steaming. I surprised the officers with my presence and asked too many questions. I was told to leave. I should have taken pictures. As soon as I hit Spanish fork I tried to call the price office. No answer, I called the next day.. I was told both officers were off that day. When I told the officer in charge what happened they said they would get back to me. Several days later they called me on a conference call with the two officers and I was told they were on their own salvaging mission of two poached animals and had not followed procedure by contacting the field office before hand. I asked where man in charge where the elk meat ended up..he asked ( on the conference call) if the meat had been donated... uh "not yet they replied".. "we did salvage some of it and took it home to freeze it and will donate it promptly. ... pretty much case closed he told me.
I would have had to be standing there and see them shoot the animals to get a conviction. It happens and it sad.

My rant off now. I don't believe the Hatch story for one minute.

cabinfever · Feb 17, 2005

Make sure you get the facts before you judge. My wife's grandfather, one of the most honest and decent men I know, while on a cow elk hunt shot a cow and when he got to the kill sight there were two dead cows. He field dressed both animals and took both animals home. When he got home he called the dwr and explained what happened. They apparently cited him, and i'm not sure what ever came of the situation, but I know he didn't lose his hunting privledges. Don't forget that even good honest people make mistakes.

cabinfever