This article was originally published by Nicole Blanchard in the Idaho Statesman.
Two Boise teenagers have been charged with poaching in connection with dozens of duck carcasses dumped behind a Garden City business last month, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game said Wednesday.
Conservation officer Ben Cadwallader found 19 whole and 15 partially field-dressed ducks — mostly mallards — left behind the Fred Meyer near Chinden Boulevard and Glenwood Street on Jan. 20.
Fish and Game put out a public request for information on Jan. 25, and several calls to the Citizens Against Poaching hotline led conservation officers Brian Flatter and Kurt Stieglitz to a parking garage at Boise State University, where they found a truck matching one seen on Fred Meyer surveillance footage.
Fish and Game said it followed additional leads to find the two suspects — one 17 years old and the other 18 — who later confessed. Fish and Game declined to identify the individuals publicly.
The daily bag limit for ducks in Idaho is seven. Cadwallader said in the Wednesday news release that “poor planning” played into the teens’ overkill.
“Every ethical hunter needs to be prepared for what comes after the hunt, that is, caring for the meat,” Cadwallader said. “Lawful waterfowl hunters pay extra attention to each and every duck they shoot by taking the proper steps to field dress and consume the meat. These kids’ hunts should have ended before the birds stacked up and forced them to dump and waste the unwanted birds.”
Both of the suspects face civil penalties of $50 per bird — or a total of $950 — as well as fines of up to $1,000 per bird, with a minimum of $25 per bird. In addition, a judge can impose a jail sentence of up to six months, as well as order the revocation of the suspects’ hunting licenses.
