May 31, 2016
From Ammoland.com
Glasgow, MT – Clay Chandler, 20, was found guilty in for the illegal rifle harvest of a bull elk.
Chandler was charged with hunting during a closed season, unlawful possession and transportation of a game animal, and hunting game animals while his privilege to do so was suspended. Chandler had pled guilty to each violation in Blaine County Justice Court, and appealed the case to the District Court.
The violations took place on October 1, 2013, on State of Montana School Trust Lands property in southeastern Blaine County, outside the exterior boundaries of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Chandler’s privileges to hunt at such locations within the state of Montana had been forfeited due to a 2012 conviction for unlawfully harvesting two bull elk.
The court, with prosecution by the Blaine County attorney, found that Chandler had knowingly lured, shot, and removed a bull elk from the State land which he knew to be outside the exterior boundaries of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
In March of 2016, Chandler was charged by 17th Judicial District Court for the following offenses:
Unlawful possession of a game animal, second offense: 10 days in county jail, $600 fine, $1000 in restitution for the unlawfully taken bull elk, and loss of privileges to hunt for 60 months in Montana and all 48 states that are members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
Hunting while privilege is forfeited or suspended: 10 days in county jail,
$500 fine, and loss of privileges to hunt for 60 months in Montana and all
48 states that are members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
Hunting during a closed season, second offense: 10 days in county jail and a
$600 fine.
Chandler’s jail time and hunting suspensions were all to run concurrently, and his fines consecutively. In addition, Chandler was ordered to pay for his own incarceration costs.