Dayton Calls For Felony-Level Penalties Against Poachers
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton wants to crack down on poachers with tougher criminal penalties and longer license revocations.
The governor on Friday proposed a new felony-level penalty for poaching, and revoking game-and-fish privileges for up to 10 years. Current law only goes up to a gross misdemeanor penalty for poaching, and license revocations of up to only five years.
The threshold for the tougher penalties would be what current law defines as gross over-limits. That means four or more deer; two or more trophy deer; 40 or more ducks, geese, pheasants, grouse or salmon; and 67 or more walleye or northern pike.
Dayton says in a statement that it's a response to recent incidents of wanton and wasteful poaching, including the killing of two bull elk in northwestern Minnesota this week.