Posted on 05/08/2008 4:08:04 PM PDT by MtnClimber
An arrest warrant has been issued for Austin, Texas, businessman Jeffrey Scott Hawn in connection with the shooting of 32 bison in Park County in March.
The warrant says Hawn is wanted on one count of felony theft, one count of felony criminal mischief and 32 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, a Class 6 felony.
The bison were shot and killed on private ranches and state and federal lands about 15 miles southeast of Hartsel.
At the time of the shootings, Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said his deputies had never seen anything like it.
"There are just hundreds of acres with carcasses laying out there," said Wegener. "There are carcasses and hides."
The 14 hunters suspected of shooting the bison belonging to ranchers Monte and Tracy Downare were camped at the nearby Hawn Ranch.
(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...
I predict they will have a very hard time getting aggravated cruelty to stick. They will have to prove that animals suffered inhumanely past the initial shot. Without witnesses or VERY good forensics this will be hard. If they found them wounded walking around three days later then yea it would stick. Everybody that is jumping for joy here had better be careful. They could easily take a prosecution win in this case and use it against legal hunting.
A 30-06 is kind of "light weight" for bison. It certainly would be cruel if he was shooting them with a .22LR. See Chuck Hawk's column on bison hunting here. He admits something as light as a 30-06 or 270 could do the job, but recommends 338 Mag, 450 Marlin or larger. See the link for the fine details.
That will depend on how much cash he has for lawyers and who his friends are. Remember these were animals that were killed, not infant babies.
You may not understand the gravity of this as this is ranching country
They are going to throw the book at some snot-nosed
city slicker from Texas who hired an ignorant lawyer who does not know
the Law.Colorado is a "fence out" state, meaning property owners are charged with the task of fencing their property to keep livestock out. The rancher isn't required to fence his or her livestock in. According to Colorado state law, a lawful fence is a "well constructed three barbed wired fence with a substantial post set at a distance of approximately twenty feet apart, and sufficient to turn ordinary horses and cattle, with all gates equally as good as the fence..."They have hard evidence that Hawn shot 16 of his neighbor's livestockThe fence was unable to keep the bison off of Hawn's property.
Downare told The Flume last month that the fence constructed by Hawn wasn't a legal fence.
with his own gun and did not take the meat.This may not mean anything to a city dweller, but here in Colorado
it is not real neighborly to take it upon yourself to slaughter your
neighbor's livestock and then not take the meat.
I think you have put your finger on it !
Did they check for Visitors? Lol.
CONCERNING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS in the CRS
I’m sure there’s good discussion to be had with regard to the proper caliber to hunt bison. But I don’t think there’s a fair argument to the effect that a 30-06 is inherently “cruel” by being too small. Sure, a 45-70 might be better, but an ‘06 still hits plenty hard.
The definition includes acts of: 1) knowingly torturing an animal; or 2) knowingly and needlessly killing, mutilating, or inflicting serious physical harm on an animal. From the Colorado Revised Statutes
Aggravated cruelty to animals.
Dude... Yer barkin’ up the wrong tree. I AGREE that this guy is a giant douche. OK?
But killing animals with a high power rifle should not be construed as inherently “cruelty to animals” under the law, or else it will result in the abolition of all hunting. Get it?
I don’t want that.
Yeesh.
Hunting is needed wildlife management !Slaughter is knowingly and needlessly killing is covered in the CRS.
This is how we deal with carpet-bagging poachers.
Well then... Maybe I’ve got you all wrong.
So you’re arguing that all hunting with rifles should be banned?
Just read the CRS provided.
So you do think that all hunting is “cruelty to animals” as defined under the law?
Sorry... If you think that then there’s nothing else to discuss.
There is nothing to discuss.It would require you to be able to read and comprehend.
I was not like they did not know these animals belonged to their neighbors. They may not be game animals, but it is the same as killing your neighbors dog or if their alpacas got out then killing them. If I was this guy I would worry about facing the neighbors more than prison time.
Ah... So lookie here, we’ve unmasked some kind of animal rights activist on FR.
If all hunting is wrong, is it also wrong when animals kill animals? Say when a leopard kills a gazelle. That’s wrong, huh?
The difference is that these were property, not wild.
I forgot to add that this creep filed a complaint just days before the killing, proving he knew these were not wild animals.
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