October 11, 2016
From FieldAndStream.com
Four men from the Coopersville area of southern Michigan are facing charges in connection with a duck-poaching incident on Sunday, Oct. 9. Conservation officers called the bust—which included 58 dead mallards and wood ducks—one of the largest instances of waterfowl poaching they’ve seen in more than 25 years.
In addition to being over the legal limit of six birds, the men were also hunting over bait. Officers found several hundred pounds of corn spread in and around a pond over which the four were hunting.
If the men are found guilty of poaching, the restitution for each bird is up to $500—for a total in the ballpark of $29,000, according to the Grand Haven Tribune. Also, officers confiscated guns from the men, who also face federally mandated suspension of their hunting licenses.