Eleven people have pled guilty and a couple from Fairfield face multiple charges after an investigation of illegal hunting activity in southeast Iowa. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Kevin Baskins, says Brenton Clark and his wife, Rachel, own Southeast Iowa Outfitters in Fairfield.
Baskins says the organization takes people on deer hunts, but they were caught doing it illegally in 2012 and 2013. “They were in possession of (deer) tags that they weren’t entitled to, as well as there were a few people who pled guilty to providing deer tags to other people. So in other words, they bought those tags and transferred those to another person in order to harvest those deer, which is against Iowa law,” Baskins says.
Brenton Clark has been charged with possessing someone else’s deer tags, with unlawful possession and transportation of buck beer and with hunting deer with a mobile radio. He also faces four counts of unlawful commercialization of wildlife. “We’re seeking some liquidated damages in the amount of $120,000 from Brenton Clark, who was one of the owners of that particular outfitter,” according to Baskins.
Rachael Clark has been charged with three counts of possessing the deer tag of another person. Five people from Fairfield and a man from nearby Birmingham have pled guilty to providing deer tags to another person. An Arkansas man has pled guilty to failing to report a deer harvest.
A Mississippi man and two men from North Carolina have pled guilty to not having deer tags and taking a buck deer out of Iowa. A 47-year-old man from Louisiana and a 46-year-old man from Fairfield also face the charge of unlawful transportation of a buck deer, plus deer tag violations.
“In Iowa, the legislature sets a limit as to how many non-resident hunters can hunt in Iowa each year for deer — how many deer tags are available,” Baskins says. “For some people just the quality of deer we have here in Iowa is too much temptation for them to resist, and unfortunately some of them are tempted to operate outside the boundaries of the law in terms of coming up here and harvesting deer.”
Baskins says those who don’t hunt in Iowa may not realize how prized the animals are. “Iowa probably has the number one deer herd in the United States in terms of quality, so there’s a lot of demand,” Baskins says, “because quite frankly, our deer get big and our bucks get big. Our bucks end up producing some fairly sizable attractive sets of antlers. Unfortunately for some, they just can’t resist the temptation to take deer outside the boundaries of the law.”
Baskins can’t say what prompted the investigation. “It’s still an ongoing investigation, so it’s not complete and we don’t want to fully discuss all that went on,” Baskins says. The Iowa DNR led the investigation that included other state as well as federal officials, plus authorities in North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Baskins says they’ve recovered a total of 11 illegally taken deer.
Those who have already pled guilty to charges resulting from the investigation include:
David A. Neff, 67, of Fairfield, pled guilty to providing a deer tag to another person. Fine and court cost of $195.
Sheri B. Neff, 69, of Fairfield, pled guilty to providing a deer tag to another person and failure to report deer harvest. Fine and court cost of $390.
James R. Deornellas, 76, of Fairfield, pled guilty to providing a deer tag to another person and failure to report deer harvest. Fine and court cost of $390.
Russell W. Deornellas, 53, of Fairfield, pled guilty to providing a deer tag to another person and failure to report deer harvest. Fine and court cost of $390.
Jerry L. Hemm, 40, of Birmingham, pled guilty to providing a deer tag to another person and failure to report deer harvest. Fine and court cost of $390.
Mark W. Kraft, 53, of Fairfield, pled guilty to providing a deer tag to another per5son and failure to report deer harvest. Fine and court cost of $390.
Dallon E. Buchanan, 41, of Cabot, AR, pled guilty to failure to report deer harvest. Fine and court cost of $195.
George W. Uithoven, 44, of Meridian, MS, pled guilty to unlawful transportation of a buck deer and not having a non-resident any sex deer tag. Fine and court cost of $849.
Louie O. Justus, 40, of Candler, NC, pled guilty to unlawful transportation of a buck deer and not having a non-resident any sex deer tag. Fine and court cost of $849. Benjamin M. King, 26, of Rutherfordton, NC, pled guilty to unlawful transportation of a buck deer and not having a non-resident any sex deer tag. Fine and court cost of $849.
Jack Conner, 62, of Union Mills, NC, pled guilty to unlawful transportation of a buck deer and failure to report deer harvest. Fine and court cost of $390.