Color Country Outfitters??????

Tuffbucker

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I caught the tail end of a story on the news today(5:30), about some possible wildlife violations that occurred on this ranch this past year. There was a snippit of a video that an unnamed source had sent in, showing what appeared to be deer being "trapped"on the ranch by high fences, and then being shot. They did not show the whole video, or tell the entire story...they are savingt that for the 10 pm news. They did mention that the case had been filed with the Kane County Prosecutors office, and that possible charges could come about, but nothing concrete as of yet.

Im just curious if anyone else has heard about this and can relay any further information about this incident.(Facts please) From the video, it looks like this ranch has some AWESOME bucks...hopefully the video was a little misleading, when it comes to the claims of illegal actions...cause I would hate to see any true sportsman "poaching" animals in this fashion. Seriously though, there were some AWESOME bucks on this video!

Im just curious. THis post is in no way meant to accuse anyone of any illegal acts/ or to bash this CMWU.....i beleive in the whole innocent until proven guilty thing, but I would be interested to know the facts from all sides in this case....so if anyone has any information, let us all know!!

THANKS IN ADVANCE

TUFF
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-23-04 AT 07:47PM (MST)[p]fin little, it is KSL channel 5. You can read the whole story online on their website. The website is http://tv.ksl.com/ Click on more videos and then click on the headline about the deer.
 
Here's the actual story straight from the ksl.com website. If you go to the website, there is also snippits of the video as well. http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=8&sid=102485

Secret Videotape Raises Ethical Questions In Private Deer Hunt
Jun. 23, 2004

A secretly made videotape of a hunting incident in southern Utah has raised ethical questions and triggered an investigation by wildlife officials. It appears to show deer and elk deliberately trapped by a hunting party which eventually shot a prize buck. John Hollenhorst has just returned from Kane County.

The hunting outfitter vigorously denies allegations of trapping, which would be a third degree felony. He says this videotape, which someone mailed to us anonymously, is misleading. But he admits what happened was bad and should never happen again.

This incident took place in a farming area just outside Alton in Kane County. It's private land where hunters pay up to 11,000 dollars to shoot a trophy deer. Last September, other hunters shot this videotape as a California hunter and two guides went after an especially desirable buck deer. In off-camera conversations, the videotapers are heard accusing the hunting party of cornering deer and elk along an 8-foot-high fence.

VOICES OFF-CAMERA: "THAT'S GOTTA BE TOUGH, TRYING TO GET A SHOT, WITH ALL THOSE ANIMALS STANDING IN THE CORNER OF THAT FENCE. OH YEAH, THAT'S REAL TOUGH."

They claim the natural exit points were deliberately blocked for well over an hour by people, vehicles and temporary gates propped up just before the hunt. But outfitter Wade Heaton says the deer had plenty of running room. The large farm acreage was only partly fenced... but he says some deer mistakenly cornered themselves. He says the incident stretched on... because the first shot only wounded the deer. The rifle malfunctioned and it took time to get another rifle and finish the job.

WADE HEATON, COLOR COUNTRY OUTFITTERS: "AND SO REALLY I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING ILLEGAL THAT WENT ON WITH IT. IT WAS TOO BAD. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT THE WAY PEOPLE LIKE TO HUNT. AND IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE."

The division of Wildlife Resources wrapped up an investigation and turned it over to the Kane County Attorney a couple of days ago. No word yet on whether any charges will be filed. The facts and the legalities are very complex. We'll explain it all to you tonight at 10pm.


TUFF
 
SOmeone out there has to have some info for us??? I vaugely remember someone talking about this months ago.....anyone.......anyone.......


TUFF
 
Heres the rest of this story. THis was on Channel 5 (ksl.com) 10 pm newscast:


Wildlife Officials Investigate Accusations of Trapping Deer
Jun. 23, 2004

"THAT'S GOTTA BE TOUGH, TRYING TO GET A SHOT WITH ALL THOSE ANIMALS STANDING IN THE CORNER OF THAT FENCE." "OH YEAH, THAT'S REAL TOUGH, HA, HA."

A secretly made videotape of a hunting incident in Southern Utah has raised ethical questions and triggered an investigation by wildlife officials.

It appears to show deer and elk deliberately trapped ... until a prize buck is shot and killed by a California hunter. A hunter, who paid big money for the kill.

John Hollenhorst is here ... to tell us more.

The hunting outfitter vigorously denies allegations of trapping. He says this videotape... which we received anonymously... is misleading.

But he admits what happened was bad. And a top wildlfie official says he finds it very distasetful.

The incident took place just outside Alton in Kane County. It's private farmland where a California hunter paid about 11,000 dollars to shoot a trophy deer.

Last September, other hunters shot this videotape as the Californian and two guides went after an especially desirable buck deer.

OFF-CAMERA VOICES: "THEY GOT HIM TRAPPED, DON'T THEY?

In off-camera conversations, the videotapers are heard accusing the hunting party of cornering deer and elk along an 8-foot-high fence for at least an hour or two.

OFF-CAMERA VOICES: "THAT'S SAD MAN, IT MAKES YOU SICK." "NOT A VERY NOBLE DEATH IS IT?"

Eventually the prize buck of the herd dropped to the ground.

BANG! OFF-CAMERA VOICES: "THEY NICKED HIM, DID THEY? "THEY KILLED HIM."

But outfitter Wade Heaton says the deer had plenty of running room. A vast acreage is contained within a series of fences that are mostly low enough for deer to jump over. A partially completed 8-foot-high fence was only a partial barrier to the trophy buck.

WADE HEATON/COLOR COUNTRY OUTFITTERS: "HE WAS IN NO WAY TRAPPED. THERE WAS LOTS OF GROUND FOR HIM TO COVER. HE JUST PICKED A PARTICULAR CORNER THERE THAT HE COULDN'T GO OUT OF."

He says the incident stretched on because the first shot only wounded the deer. The rifle malfunctioned and it took time to get another rifle and finish the job.

WADE HEATON/COLOR COUNTRY OUTFITTERS: "NO ONE IS PARTICULARLY HAPPY ABOUT IT. IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN AND THANK GOODNESS THAT IT WON'T."

JOHN HOLLENHORST REPORTING: "THE PEOPLE WHO SHOT THE VIDEO REFUSED TO SPEAK TO US ON CAMERA. BUT ONE OF THEM TOLD US IT WAS OBVIOUS THE DEER WERE TRAPPED BY THE FENCE, AND THEIR EXIT POINTS CUT OFF BY PEOPLE AND VEHICLES."

OFF-CAMERA VOICES: "THOSE GATES RIGHT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN THERE ALL SUMMER AND NOW THEY'RE PROPPED UP."

The videotapers claim that exit points were blocked by temporary gates, put up just before the hunt.

WADE HEATON/COLOR COUNTRY OUTFITTERS: "HUUNHHH. YOU KNOW I REALLY, UH, I COULD GIVE YOU MY OPINION ON THAT. BUT I REALLY DON'T KNOW. SOME OF THE OTHER HUNTERS IN THE AREA THAT WEREN'T PART OF OUR GROUP, I HEARD THEY WERE DOING THAT AS WELL. BUT I REALLY CAN'T CONFIRM THAT EITHER."

The case is tricky from a legal standpoint: How do you define the difference between trapping in fact... versus trapping in effect.

And it's an ethical quandary too: how different is this from a group of hunters pressuring a herd of deer up a box canyon. A common practice.

The Division of Wildlife has completed an investigation and it's now in the hands of the Kane County Attorney.
 
I watched it. There were a couple of bucks that were quite impressive. The film was being shot behind an extremely high fence. I don't know if the fence was to keep 'em out, or keep 'em in. At the time of the hunt, they were in. The guys filming the hunt seemed quite disgusted in their comments.

This is just my opinion. The "guy" on the show (who is an SFW chapter guy) seemed like he was trying his damnedest to explain this situation away. Problem is, he was not doing a very good job at it. When asked a question he would ho-hum a bit and try to answer the question politically and ethically correct.

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. Just another example of helping our wildlife. High fences, wounding deer with malfunctioning rifles, temporary gates, and the one I liked, it is not totally fenced they just happened to corner themselves that time.

Whatever works the best for you. I just think the negative report and actions of those in the report does nothing to help hunters or wildlife.
 
You are right things like this do nothing to help the sport of hunting. That includes the guys that sent the tape into the news. It was not shot secretly they actually waiting with a hunter themselves hoping the buck would come their way. I am not going to mention names, but the guys that sent the tape in have an very individual centered agenda for whtever reasons they have. They definately are not helping the sport of hunting. It a personal attack more or less on the ranch and the guy that was on the news last night.
Will it better the future of hunting by sitting here bashing on what when none of us were there or know all of the facts, that may seem easy to do at the time.
 
"I am not going to mention names, but the guys that sent the tape in have an very individual centered agenda for whtever reasons they have. They definately are not helping the sport of hunting. It a personal attack more or less on the ranch and the guy that was on the news last night".


I don't care who hates who. The operators of the ranch and/or guides should have their butts kicked! They shot a deer that was cornered/confined! It doesn't matter if the buck had 50,000 acres of open ground behind him; they shot it against a fence!

You're right the morons that sent the tape to the media did more damage to pro-hunters than they did to poor-hunters. Any way you look at it, the situation is not a good one.

I think I have a solution to the problem. Tell you what I'm willing to do. Out of the goodness of my heart I'll take over the management of the CWMU free of charge! And I'll guarantee the only premium limited entry shed unit in state! :7
 
I would like to hear both sides of the story before I pass judgement but regardless of whether anybody is guilty or innocent this is definately a black eye for the sport of hunting.

Drummond
 
I heard that there were actual charges formally brought against this guide. Is this all rumor? Does anyone out there have the facts?
 
You shouldnt blame the guys who turned in the tape when the DWR incourgages all hunters to report poaching and suspicious behavor... I think if I was their I would have turned the tape in too!
 
Turn in a poacher and they'er found gulity you get a tag !!
I think thats right!
When I was in Kanab Ut, in 2000 hunting deer some older folks
I ran into said thats what they do!
They just watch hunters, if they see what they think is the law being broke they take a photo or video and then call "johnny law" if a conviction they recieves a tag for deer or elk in that area!
"motive" maybe!
Those guys need a jail sentance reguardless!

just my two cents
jack
 
If the person who turned in the video is looking for a tag, I believe that would be public knowledge if he/she receives one.

So maybe we need to keep abreasted of anyone receiveing a tag if the heatons are found guilty.

runner
 
Very well said Sneak attack. And for all of those wondering and speculating about charges and passing judgement whether guilty or not guilty. There have been no charges filed. If it wasn't a personal attack or piss-off then it would have been kept to the F&W not the news.
One other thing Sneak Attack, not to dissapoint you, but when shed hunting come around there is not a shed nor deer to be found on that unit because they migrate off.
One other side note, as teh law sits right now the only unit that you get a tag for turning in a poacher is the Pauns., just the Gen. Pauns. that does not include CWMU's. (yes that should be changed and hopefully in the future it will) It should be for every unit elk or deer.
 
Just one week and we stopped talking about these criminals!
Anybody have an update?
Do not forget this stuff guys! It hurts us all to see great bucks taken that way! All for greed!
They need action taken against them so they stop taking Deer,and maybe Elk that way! They been taking GREAT BUCKS for years and this may new but I think its been a lease 3-4 years.
jack
 

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