July 8, 2010
Hunter fined for killing too many antlered deer in one season
PARMA, Ohio – A Parma man convicted of illegally killing two antlered deer in the 2009 deer hunting season must pay restitution, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
Gary Blakeney, 24, was ordered to pay $5,746.30 in fines, restitution, and additional court costs, serve five years probation, and have his hunting privileges suspended for three years. In addition, both deer were forfeited to the State of Ohio. Blakeney pleaded no contest in the Parma Municipal Court.
According to the ODNR, “If a hunter kills an antlered deer on a controlled hunt, he or she may not kill another antlered deer during the same license year in Ohio.”
The ODNR Division of Wildlife’s revised restitution law went into effect in March 2008. The law allows the Division of Wildlife to seek an increased recovery value on all illegally harvested wildlife, according to a news release.