What's a Skid Loader worth?

[MinDak Hunter]

Nice work by the CO's...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The story and evidence just didn't add up for a Hugo man who is facing $10,000 in fines and restitution - and loss of his hunting privileges - for allegedly poaching a 10-point trophy buck in early November.

After receiving a Turn-In-Poacher call, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Robert Haberman of Little Falls recovered a deer from a central Minnesota taxidermist. The deer tag had not been validated, nor had the deer been registered. The buck scored 146 2/8 inches under Boone and Crockett, which records trophy animals.

Christopher C. Mogren, 43, said he had legally taken the buck by archery. However, an inspection of the carcass revealed a clean arrow wound behind the left shoulder and a large wound on the right shoulder consistent with firearm trauma. A forensics analysis found multiple metal fragments similar to those from a bullet fired from a high-powered rifle.

Mogren eventually admitted using a firearm to shoot a "severely injured" deer that had wandered onto his property. Using a skid loader, he transported the deer to his home where he later arrowed the deer. He purchased an archery tag, waited a couple of days, and tried to claim the deer was taken by archery.

Mogren said a family member subsequently dropped the deer off at the taxidermist.

State conservation officers seized the skid loader, a Remington model 700 rifle with scope, and 21 packages of deer venison. They also collected photos of Mogren posing with the deer and the arrow used.

Mogren has been charged with a gross misdemeanor for taking big game out of season ($3,000 fine), taking a big game animal without a license ($1,000 fine), gross misdemeanor transporting an illegally taken big game animal ($3,000 fine), failure to validate a deer tag ($1,000 fine) and failure to register a big game animal ($1,000 fine). Restitution for a trophy buck is $1,000.

A trial date has not been set in Washington County. If convicted, Mogren could also lose his hunting privileges for three years.

(Copyright 2010 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)

[mrklean]

thats what i like to see ppl like that getting caught

[deerminator]

Yes, getting caught and fined heavily. I'd even like to see jail time. But taking the skid loader. No. Pretty soon they'll be taking houses too because they were used in the crime. He did store the deer there right? Hand over the deed.

[MJ1657]

3 years of no hunting is not nearly enough.

[MinDak Hunter]

"Pretty soon they'll be taking houses too because they were used in the crime."

No, no they won't. In fact the laws that allow the seizure/confiscation of a motor vehicles in gross misd. cases have been on the books for years. Before the state can forfeit the vehicle they would have to find the offender guilty...

It seems to be that the courts have been taking these types of laws from the CO's for awhile (limiting the scope of the government) such as the fish house thing.

I posted this awhile ago in a discussion about state seized guns.

A seizure is the taking by law enforcement officers of potential evidence in a criminal case. The constitutional limitations on seizure are the same as for search. Thus, evidence seized without a search warrant or without "probable cause" to believe a crime has been committed and without time to get a search warrant, cannot be admitted in court, nor can evidence traced through the illegal seizure (sometimes returned to the offender).

[GRH]

Good Job by all the officers involved. I hope he looses all that stuff.

[nonteepical]

i don't see how half the charges could stick. the charges contradict each other. if it was out of season (appearantly just before archery?) you couldn't validate a tag, register or have open season tag to do those things with, it's out of season. it's like getting a ticket for not stopping at a stop light when there isn't a stoplight. no season equals no stoplight.

[jkcmj]

Ouch! I bet he'd have left the skidloader part out of his confession if he had known the consequence!

That might make the old landscaping business a little harder on the back next summer!

[Powerstroke]

nonteepical- it is considered "out of season" because he shot the deer with a GUN when it wasn't the gun season, then he bought a bow license and tried to fake an archery kill.

[nonteepical]

thanks for clearing that up for me, that makes sense. i somehow got hung up on no deer season was open. hang'em high!

[BigJakeL]

I wonder how "Severely wounded" this animal was? And if it was why wouldn't he just call a CO?? Could have saved him a lot of headache and a few dollars!

[highlife4me]

I doubt the deer was wounded. If it was, why would he bother shooting the deer again with an arrow? I don't understand why they confiscated the skidloader, I know it was used to transport the deer but he wasn't in it when he shot it. They should take the relatives truck too because that was used to take it to the tazidermist if the really want to make it hard on him.

[BLACKJACK]

Cases like this need to be publicized more as a deterrent to future scofflaws.

[pureinsanity]

The skidloader was used to illegally transport the animal.

[pureinsanity]

gross misdemeanor transporting an illegally taken big game animal

You could look at it in three ways here.

1. He transported a deer that was with out a proper tag.

2. He transported a deer that with out a tag given by a CO or Sheriff

3. He transported a deer that was illegally taken out of season, and with out a proper license.

So either way you look at it the skid loader is doomed. and when and if they auction it off! someone will be getting a deal!

[nobody05]

just crazy what the fine's for that stuff is nowadays!! shoot a deer out of season 10K! Get cought with mary J in your car... couple hundred dollars and your on your way!! now that just dont make sense!

[mrklean]

i think it does i think its a great system

[pureinsanity]

I think its a fair system. When you think about it. The Mary J grows pretty fast and gets to its prime age pretty quickly. You get busted you get fined, and than most likely you do it again, over and over again.

Where as poaching, they take your guns, they take your privileges, and your skid loader! And they make it so its pretty hard to do it again, and after those fines you probably wont! lol

[fishwater]

just crazy what the fine's for that stuff is nowadays!! shoot a deer out of season 10K! Get cought with mary J in your car... couple hundred dollars and your on your way!! now that just dont make sense!

Yeah, they shouldn't even waste theier time fining ya for the jane.. Unless of course its a trophy buck sized bag of the stuff..!

[Powerstroke]

Keep it on topic.....

[highlife4me]

I understand why they took the skidloader but my question is why didn't thet take the vehicle used to transport the deer to the taxidermist or the bow he shot it with after it was dead? I believe we are not getting the whole story here and neither is the DNR.

[LightningBG]

It's amazing how you can do 1 thing wrong and get charged with 6 offenses. Seems to me like their throwing as much !@#$ at the wall as they can, hoping something sticks.

I agree he should face the music for his action, but this just goes a little overboard. Taking the skid is just dumb. I wonder if he just dragged the animal home if they would have confiscated the rope and his boots? Used to transport right? What if he used a 2x6 as a ramp to pull it into a truck? Take the lumber? What if he shot it from a tree? Cut down the tree?

IMO its just a money grab for the state.

[LightningBG]

Lets take a look at which of these dont add up...

1. gross misdemeanor for taking big game out of season ($3,000 fine),

2. taking a big game animal without a license ($1,000 fine),

3. gross misdemeanor transporting an illegally taken big game animal ($3,000 fine),

4. failure to validate a deer tag ($1,000 fine) and

5. failure to register a big game animal ($1,000 fine).

Restitution for a trophy buck is $1,000.

1&2 - if it was out of season, it wouldn't be possible to have a license.

3 - has any illegal game ever not been transported? Seem like a charge every poacher on earth would be charged with.

2&4 - What tag? How was he going to validate the tag he didn't possess when he shot the animal?

1,2 & 5 - How is he going to register a deer without a license that isn't in season?

Some of these charges it would be impossible for him to have accomplished once the deer was shot.

I'm not defending this guy. He should face the music, but some of these charges are ridiculous.

He should be charged 1 count of taking a deer out of season.

Honestly, would it have been better if he would have had a gun license and just shot it out of season? No, its still a dead deer. But he would have one less charge on his docket.

[pureinsanity]

Lets take a look at which of these dont add up...

1. gross misdemeanor for taking big game out of season ($3,000 fine),

2. taking a big game animal without a license ($1,000 fine),

3. gross misdemeanor transporting an illegally taken big game animal ($3,000 fine),

4. failure to validate a deer tag ($1,000 fine) and

5. failure to register a big game animal ($1,000 fine).

Restitution for a trophy buck is $1,000.

1&2 - if it was out of season, it wouldn't be possible to have a license.

This story was updated on 12/31/2010 10:49:10 AM, thus stating this incident happened before this date. The archery season goes until 12/31/10. So there was a season open. Archery.

3 - has any illegal game ever not been transported? Seem like a charge every poacher on earth would be charged with.

If you do your research you will see a lot of vehicles are seized for this matter because they are used in the crime.

2&4 - What tag? How was he going to validate the tag he didn't possess when he shot the animal?

see below

1,2 & 5 - How is he going to register a deer without a license that isn't in season?

He purchased an archery tag as stated in the story above

[pureinsanity]

Depending on the CO and how nice he is depends on what they take.

I know guys who have gotten tickets relating to angling issues. Some were strapped with fines, others were strapped with fines and all their equipment seized.

Let them do their job, I'm glad they took what they did from this guy.

If you used your car in a crime, you can bet they would seize it.