A Wyoming man whose hunting privileges had already been suspended for illegally killing two deer pleaded guilty to killing four more deer without a proper license and now faces more serious consequences for his actions.
Circuit Court Judge Michael L. Greer sentenced Stetson Long of Thayne, Wyo., to six months in the Lincoln County Detention Center and ordered him to pay $16,000 in restitution to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the WGFD reported Friday.
Long also lost his hunting privileges for 20 years and his fishing privileges for 10 years. He was placed on 18 months of unsupervised probation and if he violates that probation, Long faces another 18 months in jail and an additional $20,000 in fines.
“This is one of the more egregious poaching cases we have seen in the state,” Lincoln County attorney Spencer L. Allred said. “Not only were these deer taken for their antlers, but the rest of the meat was completely wasted. We are pleased that a serious jail sentence, fines, and suspension of his hunting and fishing privileges were given.”
In 2016 when he was convicted of illegally killing two deer, Long received $800 in fines, probation and suspended hunting privileges through 2018, according to Local News 8.
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Game wardens Neil Hymas and James Hobbs began investigating Long after a ranch manager near Cokeville, Wyo., discovered four sets of fresh mule deer antlers hidden in a barn on the ranch.
The game wardens determined Long had been working on the ranch and killed four antlered mule deer between Nov. 5 and Nov. 13, 2018. Long admitted to killing the deer. Game wardens located the wasted deer carcasses, though it was unclear how or whether Long helped them.
Photos of the evidence and generic mule deer courtesy of Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
