Recently a Georgia man was charged with 42 wildlife misdemeanors and is now required to pay $41,000 in fines.
Douglas R. Crookston sold his Colorado property in 2017. As a result, he forfeited his Colorado resident status. However, since that time he continued to purchase licenses as a resident.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife started investigating in 2019. They received information that Crookston had been hunting on false licenses.
Crookston pleaded guilty to the following:
- 10 counts of making a false statement in the purchase of a hunting license
- Three counts of hunting without a valid license
- Two counts of illegal possession (one trophy mule deer and one trophy bull elk)
Crookston was also found in possession of several big game species and was forced to forfeit them. These included two mule deer, two pronghorn, one bull elk, and one black bear.
One of the mule deer and the elk are each considered to be trophy size. As a result, each carries a mandatory fine of $10,000.
In addition to the fines, a Colorado judge has sentenced him to a suspension. This includes all hunting, fishing, and trapping activities for two years. Because of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, he can potentially face a suspension in 49 states.
“While license fraud cases are not the typical ‘poacher’ case, CPW takes these cases very seriously,” said Wildlife Officer Scott Murdoch, who worked the case. “Colorado residents are entitled to certain privileges that out of state residents are not. This comes in the form of license prices, license draw odds and license allocations. When non-residents claim Colorado residency fraudulently, all wildlife taken become illegal.”
No matter where you live you should report wildlife violations. Poaching hurts hunters and non-hunters alike.
So, what do you think? Do you agree with CPW fining the man $41,000? Was the fine too much or not enough? Let us know in the comments!
