Wildlife Law Arrests and Convictions in DNR District 5 

Conservation officers with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources in District 5 (Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, and Wayne counties) have been successful in recent weeks issuing citations in a number of wildlife law violation cases, according to District 5 Captain Stephen Stewart.

Lengthy Spotlighting Case Ends in Conviction

Weeks of investigation into a report of spotlighting ending successfully on April 2, 2009, when 19-year old Robert Corey Sparks of St. Albans, W.Va., was found guilty by Putnam County Magistrate Kylene Brown on four counts of spotlighting deer while in possession of a firearm. In addition to the $1,600 in fines and court costs, Magistrate Brown sentenced Sparks to 20 days in jail and an additional 200 days of day reporting. Sparks remains out on bond while he appeals his conviction to circuit court. Two other accomplices involved in the case had pled guilty earlier to related charges and paid fines. Officer First Class Jack Fayak assisted lead investigator Cpl. Denny Painter in the many weeks of investigation, which led to the successful prosecution of the three individuals involved in the criminal activities.

Pre-season Turkey Hunting Citations Issued in Lincoln County

Officer Shaun Townsend cited 56 year-old Joyce Stratton of Leet, W.Va. and a 16 year-old male for hunting during closed season on Saturday, April 25, the Saturday before the season opened on Monday, April 27. They first claimed that they thought turkey season opened up on Saturday the 25th, but the juvenile slipped up when he said he thought it seemed odd since turkey season always opened on a Monday, according to Officer Townsend.

Opening Day Turkey Hunting Citations

On opening day of the spring turkey hunting season, April 27, Sgt. Terry Ballard and Cpl. Larry Rockel issued hunting law violation citations to 50-year old Ronald Newsom of Kermit, W.Va., on charges of turkey hunting over bait, and 59-year old Everett Marcum of Breeden, W.Va., for the dual offenses of turkey hunting with an electronic call and hunting from a motor vehicle. Both of these incidents occurred in Mingo County.  

Boone County Conservation Officer Ed Goodson cited 21-year old James Atkins Jr. of Blooming Rose, W.Va., on a charge of hunting without a license.

In Mason County, Corporals Gary Amick and Jeff Sweeney were staked out on a bait site that was discovered the week before opening day of the spring turkey season. They found two ground blinds in place with plenty of fresh corn close by.  Early Monday morning, the hunter appeared and moved into one of the blinds. Some time later a flock of turkeys came in and he shot two turkeys before the officers could move in. Fifty-four year old Kevin William Brown of Letart was cited for hunting turkeys over bait and exceeding the daily bag limit.  

In Kanawha County, Cpl. Denny Painter issued a citation to 57-year old Delbert Wileman of St. Albans, W.Va. on a charge of carrying a loaded firearm inside a vehicle.

In Wayne County, Conservation Officer David Hylton cited 61-year old Jesse Dale Lesher of Henlawson, W.Va., for carrying a loaded firearm inside a vehicle.

Kanawha County Citations

On May 4th, Cpl. Gary Amick and Off. Chad Rains were working an anonymous game complaint in Kanawha County.  Upon investigation, the officers found enough evidence to charge 21-year old Nicholas Confere of Mammoth, W.Va., with two counts of illegal possession of turkeys, two counts of failure to check in a turkey, and two counts of failure to field tag. 

“Hunting turkey over bait, hunting out of season, carrying loaded firearms in a vehicle, hunting without a license, and exceeding the bag limit are among the most common hunting law violations we run across,” said Capt. Stewart. “These laws are in place to protect the resource and the hunter, and we take them seriously. DNR encourages law-abiding hunters to report hunting law violations they witness to their closest DNR district office or to call 911 if they see a violation in progress so that we can provide a quick response.”

The 2009 spring turkey hunting season in West Virginia ends Saturday, May 23.

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