Natural Resources Fines

DRIFTER_016 · November 25, 2015

The boys in Alaska know how to deal with poachers and game thieves!!!!

Canada could learn a thing or two from this!!!!

http://www.ktuu.com/news/news/sportsman-channel-suspends-reality-show-after-alaska-charges-host-fired/35290124

Sportsman Channel host, four hunters, plead guilty to poaching in Alaska

A cable TV hunting show host and four other hunters have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in a multi-year poaching operation in Alaska's Noatak National Preserve, according to federal prosecutors.

Syndicate TV show host Clark W. Dixon, 41, of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, pleaded guilty on Monday before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline to two felony

violations of the Lacey Act for his role in the illegal take of a brown bear. The take involved a number of hunting law violations. These included same day airborne hunting, hunting without proper non-resident tags and permits, and the illegal transporting and outfitting of non-resident hunters, according to U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler.

The charges involved actions from 2008 through 2014 in the Noatak National Preserve. Along with agreeing to plead guilty, Clark Dixon accepted a prison sentence of 18 months, a fine of $75,000, and forfeiture of 17 trophies including grizzly bear, Dall sheep and caribou,along with bows and several rifles used in the illegal take of game in Alaska.

The plea agreement also covers the allegation that at the time the violations, Clark Dixon illegally claimed Alaska residency while already being a Mississippi resident. The charges against Dixon stem from his lying about his residency status to take advantage of Alaska resident hunting privileges, nullifying all of his Alaska hunts which resulted in the forfeiture of the 17 trophies and firearms. Clark Dixon also agreed not to contest the forfeiture of a STOL Quest SQ-4 aircraft used by his father, Charles Dixon, which assisted the younger Dixon in transporting

and outfitting non-resident hunters in the illegal take of game. Clark Dixon’s sentencing has been set for February 12, 2016, in Anchorage.

Charles Dixon, 70, also pleaded guilty to two violations of the Lacy Act.

In other related cases, Clarence Michael Osborne, 53, of Madison, Miss., pleaded guilty to a violation of the Lacy Act for illegally killing a grizzly bear in the Noatak National Preserve while hunting with Clark Dixon.

Fulton Wold, 41, of Nashville, Tenn., also pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Nov. 13. As part of the deal, Wold agreed to plead guilty to the illegal take of a caribou on a hunt orchestrated by Clark Dixon in September 2009 in which Wold did not have the proper permits or non-resident tags. As part of his sentence, Wold received a

sentence of two years probation, a fine of $7,500, and was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution to the Noatak Preserve.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Sportsman Channel has suspended a hunting show and launched its own investigation after the show's host was charged with felonies related to poaching in a national preserve in Alaska.

The cable channel said Tuesday it has suspended "The Syndicate" effective immediately. Network CEO Jim Liberatore says if the allegations are true, it's "clearly unacceptable, unethical and against everything" the network stands for.

Also on Tuesday, the managing director for 'Syndicate Hunting' announced that host Clark W. Dixon and another hunter who appeared on the show, Lance Walker, had been fired.

"Mr. Dixon and Mr. Walker solely conducted their activities without the knowledge of Syndicate Hunting ... Syndicate Hunting Management sincerely apologizes to our sponsors, fans, friends and families for this unfortunate situation," director Michael Dianda wrote.

Prosecutors say grizzly bears, moose, caribou and Dall sheep were illegally killed in the Noatak National Preserve, and the illegal kills ended up on the show.

Federal prosecutors in Alaska charged Dixon, of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, with two felonies Monday. Nine other people and two production companies face related misdemeanors or tickets.

The show is independently produced and buys air time from the network.

manitoubass2 · November 25, 2015

Wow!!!

Dara · November 25, 2015

Thats crazy..throw the key away

Edited November 25, 2015 by Dara

irishfield · November 25, 2015

They needed an example for new legislation going through and they got it big time. Other than this mess, Charles came across as a perfect southern gentleman when he flew his airplane all the way up from Mississipi for me to work on in May 2000. He does actually own property in Alaska. Unfortunate that his son lost his $225K US SQ4, although it's not the first aircraft they "lost" to Alaska. (picture in 2003 standing in front of the one I worked on). Charles getting to sit in the clink, at 70 years old, for 18 months is a bit tough but it is what it is! I'm sure he'll be out and back on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico before Spring.

Edited November 25, 2015 by irishfield

BillM · November 25, 2015

The 70 year old isn't doing time from what I can gather in the article, his son is.

Edited November 25, 2015 by BillM

AKRISONER · November 25, 2015

meh 18 months isnt a long enough total jail time IMO...these animals were quite literally murdered.

Theres a reason that animals are available for limited harvest, breaking that code is a violation of nature itself it to me is in the same realm of animal abuse i.e. dog fighting and the like.

If we are willing to throw someone in jail for their entire lives and even execute them in some cases for killing people, why would 18 months in jail justify this clowns multiple illegal kills of animals.

Glad they hurt their bank account, but at the same time these guys have plenty of money, money made from filming this garbage. The penalty doesnt justify the crime committed.

Also i would hope that now that these clowns are felons, their weapons should all be confiscated forevermore

Edited November 25, 2015 by AKRISONER

irishfield · November 25, 2015

Sorry Bill, misread it. Clark probably belongs there, his father (like many would) was just trying to help him out and as I said does own property in Alaska, a good piece of it.

This is just one case conclusion, to what I remember right is over 13 different cases brought to various combinations of the same men.

All my Alaska flying friends are in a frizzy up there, terrified that if they even fly into someone's camp to say hello that their aircraft will be seized as part of a "crime" for flying same days as a hunt.

Envision me flying into your cottage and then having my airplane seized because we went out and legally fished a shoal that I may OR MAY NOT have flown over seeing fish on it.

It's a mess up there, I'll see if I can find the entire diatribe on this. Remember there is always three sides to every story and the Crown has the most money to make it work out how they like.

Not defending what transpired, but for a fair part the pool is tainted from what I've learned the past 3 years.

irishfield · November 25, 2015

As for "plenty of money". Like the vehicle you drive, the bank owns it in most cases and it's no different for most guys that have airplanes. A way of life, they chose to make payments on their way of getting around and most don't have deep pockets. Most are poorer than anyone that owns a boat I can tell you that! The Crown has his airplane now and somehow, while sitting in jail, he has to continue to pay the bank back while the State auctions of his craft to the highest bidder.

As for "murdering" animals, all would have been above board if he had of put his Mississipi home in his wife's name as sole tenant. This would have made him a legal guide with Alaska residency no doubt, but as I stated above with all they had against them there was no way out. They're paying the price for a show that most probably never heard of.

Edited November 25, 2015 by irishfield

bare foot wader · November 25, 2015

Residency issues are no joke out west, LOTS of people take advantage of it, especially the guiding industry which is largely dominated by foreign owners....IMO this guy got what he deserved, sucks for his father, but he was clearly abusing the system, and not just on the residency issue

and then there's guys like Clayton Stoner with his grizzly, and half of Fort Mac that calls BC home, technically many do not meet the requirements to hunt or fish as a resident, even though they own homes in BC, pay taxes, support local economy, etc......the definition of residency needs to be revised...but I highly doubt that'll happen

AKRISONER · November 25, 2015

like most cases where someone gets caught walking a thin line, people revert to blaming the system for their problems. You know the risks ahead of time, its too late to ask for forgiveness once you get caught.

These people were attempting to take advantage of a system and got caught, and are now being punished for their crime.