Barbour County Men Charged with Wildlife and Marijuana Law Violations 

On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Barbour County Conservation Officer Andy Lyons located two turkey bait sites near the community of Junior, W.Va. Officers Lyons and Robert Waybright checked one of the illegal bait sites on the opening day of spring gobbler season Monday, April 27, and found two Belington, W.Va., residents, Charles M Hutzler, age 49, and Gregory Skidmore, age 35, hunting turkey over bait. Approaching the site, the officers detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the hunters’ blind.

During the investigation, Hutzler admitted to killing two jake (juvenile male) turkeys approximately two weeks prior to opening of the gobbler season. A consent to search Hutzler’s residence was obtained. The officers not only confiscated two jake beards from the illegally killed turkeys but also seized the talons, skull, and cape of an illegally possessed hawk. In addition to drug paraphernalia, 18 potted marijuana plants were seized from Hutzler’s laundry room.

Skidmore and Hutzler were taken before Barbour County Magistrate Kathy McBee.  Hutzler was charged with felony cultivation and manufacture of a controlled substance. Magistrate McBee set Hutzler’s bond at $10,000 and he was taken to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail. Hutzler was also charged with two counts of illegal killing of turkey, one count of hunting turkey over bait, and one count of illegal possession or parts thereof of a hawk.

Skidmore pled guilty to two charges; he was assessed a $100 fine and $159.53 court costs for hunting turkey over bait and placed on six months probation and assessed $159.53 for possession of marijuana.

The hunter’s blind, chairs, decoy turkeys, tripod/video equipment and two shotguns (one 12 gauge and one 20 gauge) were impounded.

West Virginia State Police and Barbour County Sheriff’s department assisted in the search and disposition of evidence.

Photos can be viewed at: www.wvdnr.gov/news.shtm .

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