October 31, 2006

By Bonnie Jakubos, Idaho Department of Fish and Game

A California man and his son were arrested earlier this fall for poaching deer and elk near Salmon. Both were fined, will spend time in jail and lost their hunting privileges.

The arrests of Donald C. Light and his son, Michael, were the result of a tip, said Tony Latham, a conservation officer with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

"In September, the Citizens Against Poaching hotline received a tip that two individuals had a history of poaching in Units 28 and 29," Latham said. "Apparently they had been killing elk in Unit 29 without permits and killing elk in Unit 28 prior to the season opener."

The tip led to a three-week investigation by conservation officers. Their hours of work paid off when they arrested the Lights, who were in possession of a bull elk killed in Unit 29.

"They knowingly did not have the controlled permit," Latham said, "and they were planning on laundering the elk with Unit 28 tags once their zone opened."

The pair also had two illegal deer in their possession.

The Lights, both from Sacramento, Calif., appeared before Magistrate Jerry Myers in Salmon on October 16.

Donald C. Light pleaded guilty to hunting deer during closed season, taking elk without a valid permit, unlawful possession of a mule deer, waste of a deer, attempting to take an over-limit of deer, and failure to leave evidence of sex on a deer. His son, Michael C. Light, pleaded guilty to similar charges.

Donald Light was sentenced to 43 days in jail; 15 years loss of hunting, fishing and trapping privileges; and nearly $5,000 in fines, penalties and fees.

Michael Light was sentenced to 38 days in jail; 12 years loss of hunting, fishing and trapping privileges; and more than $3,000 in fines, penalties and fees.

Both will be entered in the Interstate Wildlife Compact, revoking their privileges in 24 participating states.

Though the meat from the illegally taken deer and elk will go those in need, Latham still sees it as a waste.

"This was a three and a half year old bull elk that would likely have matured into a trophy elk," he said. "It was stolen from the sportsmen and women in Idaho."

Tips through the Citizens Against Poaching hotline are often the only way poachers are detected. The program began in Idaho 25 years ago as a way for people to report game law violations. If the call results in a citation, the caller is eligible for a reward. A witness to a violation may call the CAP toll-free number 800-632-5999 and may remain anonymous.

"We never would have caught these guys without the CAP hotline," Latham said.

Bonnie Jakubos is the regional conservation educator in the Salmon Region.