Harassing wildlife: Antelope-herding case ends with deferred sentences Chad
Smith
The Daily Courier
PRESCOTT - A local hunting guide, charged with two counts of knowingly using an aircraft to harass antelope in August 2014, has lost his hunting and guide licenses but was given a deferred sentence, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Chad
Smith, owner of Vaquero Outfitters, based in Prescott, and manager of the ORO Ranch about 45 miles northwest of Prescott, was charged in the case, along with helicopter pilot Christopher Atkinson of Texas.
Smith will have to divest himself of ownership or financial interest in the outfitting company.
Harassing wildlife with a helicopter is a federal offense - a misdemeanor - punishable with a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to six months in prison.
Smith and Atkinson were each given a deferred sentence Monday, Dec. 14, in federal court, and will face no prison time or fine if they remain violation-free for four years.
They're not allowed to seek or obtain hunting permits or engage in hunting at all, and may not operate a helicopter in Arizona.
"Every antelope in sight freaked out and started running," one young hunter told investigators, according to the 36-page complaint written by Fish and Wildlife investigator Preston Fant and filed in March 2015.
"We could see (the helicopter) pushing the antelope towards the ORO Ranch and flying very slowly as to stay right behind them," another hunter wrote about the dozen pronghorn.
It's illegal in Arizona for people outside state or federal agencies to capture wildlife, Arizona Game and Fish Wildlife Manager Scott Poppenberger told the Courier in March.
The defendants, according to the filing, denied chasing or herding antelope in northern Yavapai County.
Smith had told investigators they were herding only cattle.
Smith also denied having any hunting clients on the property, and said he never guided Atkinson until a wildlife officer showed him a photo of Atkinson with a trophy mule deer buck on
Smith's Facebook page, the Courier previously reported.
Atkinson said he hunted on the ORO in 2012 and 2013, he had a mule deer tag for 2014, and he paid
Smith $12,500 to hunt the ORO in 2014.
In 2003,
Smith lost his guide license and hunting privileges for five years and was fined $2,450 by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for using a vehicle for his client to prevent a trophy buck antelope from running onto a neighboring ranch, according to online commission minutes.
He was convicted in Prescott Justice Court of taking wildlife from a vehicle and possessing unlawfully taken wildlife, according to the commission minutes. The hunter also was found guilty of shooting from a roadway.
oon an added note - us wildlife services will have a listing of this case -- can not hunt or fish for 4 yrs was also included - I believe for both smith and pilot
here agin fining these violators is the only real thing they understand -- hitting them where it counts - basically this isnt going to prevent anything
4 yrs -slap on wrist -- it should have been permanent revoked guiding/hunting period - already had it removed once ! learned nothing then
this was a plea agreement - shoulda went to court!!!
