Turkey Poacher Gets Lifetime Hunting Ban in Indiana

[deerhunt1988]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/turkey-poacher-becomes-first-person-in-indiana-to-get-lifetime-hunting-ban/ar-AA149pUi?cvid=f0e793653d1e426998b0f62a2c620aa8

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources marked a rather unfortunate milestone on Thursday, Nov. 10 when the Warren County Court issued 25-year-old turkey poacher and longtime scofflaw Hanson Pusey with the state's first ever lifetime hunting ban. In addition to the lifetime ban, he was also delivered a home detention sentence, probation, and was charged replacement fees for the cost of the investigation, according to a press release from IDNR. As you can imagine, the list of infractions the West Lafayette man committed to receive this punishment is extensive.

Pusey's hunting privileges were first suspended in March 2019 after racking up multiple charges for trespass, illegal take of wildlife, and waterfowl hunting violations in a November 2018 case. He kept chasing turkeys in Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania after the suspension. When the Indiana DNR received a tip in 2020 that Pusey was still poaching in the area, they surveilled his activity and eventually searched his home.

IDNR officers found 83 spent shells with the dates and locations of the turkeys Pusey had killed, dating back to 2012. Fourteen of the shells were dated within three months of when Pusey received his first suspension in 2019, four of them in Indiana. While evidence of this magnitude is rare in a poaching investigation, it likely helped expedite the process for Pusey's charges in Indiana and other states.

The punishments in each state are as follows:

In Pennsylvania, $4,125 in fines and an eight-year suspension of all hunting licenses; in Connecticut, $324 in fines and an indefinite suspension of all hunting licenses; in Massachusetts, $700 in fines and a full license suspension during probation; in Georgia, $2,335 in fines; in North Carolina, $278 in fines; and in Tennessee, $525 in fines.

Pusey was charged once again in February 2022 for continuing to hunt without permission and for stealing a trail camera SD card, triggering the lifetime ban. According to state court records, Pusey has a history of criminal mischief. He pled guilty to misdemeanor battery in 2015 after being charged with felony strangulation.

[Turkeybutt]

Glad to hear somebody like that got caught but based on his history and track record it won't stop him from doing it again.

[GobbleGitr]

While I wish all criminals could be rehabilitated, there are just lawless people and this looks to be someone who will prove that to be true.  No doubt at some point we taxpayers will be paying for him to eat and sleep in a prison.  At least these tough sentences might serve as a deterrent to aspiring scofflaws

[TurkeyReaper69]

I wonder if he hunts with the Bowmar's in Nebraska

[Sir-diealot]

Glad he got busted, wish there was a way that they could give him a lifetime ban for all states though. With we could brand his face with a P for poacher.

[Tail Feathers]

Glad he got hit hard with fines and suspensions but I suspect it won't stop him.  I hope I'm wrong. 

[Vintage]

No jail time?

[dirtnap]

 How is his last name pronounced?

[Happy]

How is his last name pronounced?

I bet he was in a lot of fights in high school.

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[tal]

How is his last name pronounced?

I bet he was in a lot of fights in high school.

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[crow]

How is his last name pronounced?

I bet he was in a lot of fights in high school.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

It's French, the last couple of letters are silent

[GobbleNut]

Glad he got busted, wish there was a way that they could give him a lifetime ban for all states though.

Actually, almost all states are members of the "Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact" under which wildlife violations in any state are subject to the same penalties in all the member states.  If I understand it correctly, that means this individual will automatically have a lifetime suspension in all the IWVC member states. 

...Of course, there has to be an enforcement mechanism in place, and adequate deterrents to keep clowns like this from just ignoring the law.  Not sure how closely they watch these kinds of violators.  Seems like we hear about this sort of thing going on just about every year. 

[eggshell]

Glad he got busted, wish there was a way that they could give him a lifetime ban for all states though.

Actually, almost all states are members of the "Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact" under which wildlife violations in any state are subject to the same penalties in all the member states.  If I understand it correctly, that means this individual will automatically have a lifetime suspension in all the IWVC member states. 

...Of course, there has to be an enforcement mechanism in place, and adequate deterrents to keep clowns like this from just ignoring the law.  Not sure how closely they watch these kinds of violators.  Seems like we hear about this sort of thing going on just about every year.

Unfortunately the interstate compact does not have a good track record of inforciinng other state's bans. Often the information never gets tranferred into other systems. Neighboring states often cooperate well, but my insider people have told me in the past the big destination states have not been very good at it. Other than hearsay I don't have any facts, but I trust the source of my information. After all, I was in a DNR administration position for 31 years. Saddly I would wager this guy will continue until he is locked up. I am ok with paying for that.

[Sir-diealot]

Glad he got busted, wish there was a way that they could give him a lifetime ban for all states though.

Actually, almost all states are members of the "Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact" under which wildlife violations in any state are subject to the same penalties in all the member states.  If I understand it correctly, that means this individual will automatically have a lifetime suspension in all the IWVC member states. 

...Of course, there has to be an enforcement mechanism in place, and adequate deterrents to keep clowns like this from just ignoring the law.  Not sure how closely they watch these kinds of violators.  Seems like we hear about this sort of thing going on just about every year.

Unfortunately the interstate compact does not have a good track record of inforciinng other state's bans. Often the information never gets tranferred into other systems. Neighboring states often cooperate well, but my insider people have told me in the past the big destination states have not been very good at it. Other than hearsay I don't have any facts, but I trust the source of my information. After all, I was in a DNR administration position for 31 years. Saddly I would wager this guy will continue until he is locked up. I am ok with paying for that.

Thank you both for the reply. I had never heard of this before. No it does no good if not enforced.

[Spurs]

Wish that group of guys out of Mississippi would have gotten that type of deal.  They got off with a slap on the wrist IMO.

Need more violators to made as poster children for what happens when you violate laws to this degree.