Hunter faces charges after harassing officer

Wed, Nov 25, 2009    to del.icio.us

A 48 year-old Linwood man will be arraigned on assault and hunter harassment charges on Nov. 30 before Judge Daniel Sutton in the 83rd District Court in Roscommon County stemming from a threatening incident with two plain-clothes detectives from the Department of Natural Resources' Special Investigations Unit on state-owned land.

The arrest culminates an investigation that was spurred by years of complaints from the public about the 7 Mag Hill hunting club in Roscommon County for threatening hunters who were hunting on state land adjacent to the club's property. The threats were preventing others from using the state-owned land.

The two undercover detectives posed as hunters, walking along a two-track trail on the state land. They were then confronted by the club member arrested in the investigation, who allegedly threatened to kill them for being in what he considered his land. The detectives left the area and contacted uniformed DNR conservation officers, who arrested the individual. Several other members of the 7 Mag Hill club were cited for improper tree stands and other state land violations. The club member arrested was also charged with failing to wear hunter orange during firearm deer season, one count of an improper tree stand and use of screws in tree steps on state land.

The DNR reminds all hunters that state lands are open for all who wish to utilize the resource. Members of the public wishing to report hunter harassment or other wildlife violations should contact the DNR's Report All Poaching Line at 800-292-7800.