Here's the real tragedy: "King County District Court records show Wentz was charged with interfering with fishing or hunting gear, a gross misdemeanor, in August 2016. He pleaded guilty in December, was fined $1,300 and sentenced to probation and two days on a community work crew."
That is way too lenient of a sentence for this.
Rumi
-------------- "This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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-------------- "This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
ALL the laws Ive ever heard of that deal with wildlife crime ARE TO SOFT!!!
-------------- "If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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-------------- "If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
Possibly Ronald Dean Wentz did not receive a stiffer penalty for illegally killing the cougar inside the WDFW live trap because he had no previous hunting convictions.
In Feb 2016 Ronald Dean Wentz illegally killed a young male cougar which was inside a WDFW live trap. King County District Court records show Wentz was charged with interfering with fishing or hunting gear, a gross misdemeanor, in August 2016. Wentz pleaded guilty in December 2016, was fined $1,300 and sentenced to probation and two days on a community work crew. Probably the Washington State Revised Code of Washington (RCW) needs to be revised to make such an offense a felony.
Below is the Revised Code of Washington showing hunting privileges can be suspended for 10 years. RCW 77.15.410 Unlawful hunting of big game—Penalty
(b) Unlawful hunting of big game in the first degree is a class C felony. Upon conviction, the department shall revoke all of the person's hunting licenses or tags and order the person's hunting privileges suspended for 10 years.
Cody Young of McCleary Washington plead not guilty to a felony illegal big game hunting charge. Cody Young was accused of obtaining a cougar hunting permit hours after he killed a cougar with an arrow in Lewis County in September 2016. Young faces a felony charge because he has a 2012 conviction for killing an elk without a proper license. In addition to prison time, if convicted, Cody Young could lose hunting privileges for 10 years.
What a moral-less and cowardly individual this jerk must be. Wildlife crime penalties need to be strengthened significantly, his sentence was no better than a slap on the wrist.
Good grief.... he should at minimum have his license to hunt in this state pulled FOREVER IMO.
And personally I'd like to see his ability to legally own a firearm rescinded as well, since he obviously can't use one in a most basic safe and ethical manner, although I know that would make some folks froth at the mouth.
Is it that a taxidermist is required to report some, or all harvested animals to WDFW?
A cougar hide has to be sealed by the Department within 10 days of harvest. Without the seal it is impossible to get it tanned or anything else done with it. The Department keeps a pretty close eye on Taxidermists and if they were to catch one with something like this off the books they would lose their license and be out of business. No Taxidermist or tannery will take that risk. If shipped out of State it becomes much more serious and the USFWS keeps an eye on tanneries. Couple years ago there was big brouhaha in a tannery in ID over bad paperwork on some seals.
The only thing unusual about this case is that the guy got caught. Trappers get stuff stolen out of traps often but the thieves are almost never caught.
Possibly Ronald Dean Wentz did not receive a stiffer penalty for illegally killing the cougar inside the WDFW live trap because he had no previous hunting convictions.
In Feb 2016 Ronald Dean Wentz illegally killed a young male cougar which was inside a WDFW live trap. King County District Court records show Wentz was charged with interfering with fishing or hunting gear, a gross misdemeanor, in August 2016. Wentz pleaded guilty in December 2016, was fined $1,300 and sentenced to probation and two days on a community work crew. Probably the Washington State Revised Code of Washington (RCW) needs to be revised to make such an offense a felony.
Below is the Revised Code of Washington showing hunting privileges can be suspended for 10 years. RCW 77.15.410 Unlawful hunting of big game—Penalty
(b) Unlawful hunting of big game in the first degree is a class C felony. Upon conviction, the department shall revoke all of the person's hunting licenses or tags and order the person's hunting privileges suspended for 10 years.
Cody Young of McCleary Washington plead not guilty to a felony illegal big game hunting charge. Cody Young was accused of obtaining a cougar hunting permit hours after he killed a cougar with an arrow in Lewis County in September 2016. Young faces a felony charge because he has a 2012 conviction for killing an elk without a proper license. In addition to prison time, if convicted, Cody Young could lose hunting privileges for 10 years.
And while the individuals can get their hunting rights back after ten years, I think they will effectively lose their gun rights for life unless they can con a judge into a felony expungement
As bad or worse: poachers breaking into a locked zoo in Paris, France to kill a white rhino (4 year old Vince) and take it's horn, worth tens of thousands of dollars.
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What a moral-less and cowardly individual this jerk must be. Wildlife crime penalties need to be strengthened significantly, his sentence was no better than a slap on the wrist. 
