Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Wow! $9,000 Fine for Killing Three Cow Muskox

Somehow it seems not near enough for 3 totally illegal muskox, left to rot.

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/cri...illegally-shooting-musk-ox-troopers-say/

3 Wainwright hunters fined $9K for illegally shooting musk oxen, troopers say
pencil Author: Jerzy Shedlock clock Updated: 2 hours ago calendar Published 4 hours ago
Two of three musk oxen killed illegally, pictured in the western Brooks Range in March 2016. (Alaska State Troopers)
Two of three musk oxen killed illegally, pictured in the western Brooks Range in March 2016. (Alaska State Troopers)

Three Wainwright men have been convicted and ordered to pay $9,000 for illegally killing three musk oxen and removing only a hindquarter from one of them.

Thomas "TJ" Tazruk and Billy and Willie Bodfish were sentenced in court in Utqiaġvik, formerly known as Barrow, on Wednesday, each on single counts of taking an animal during a closed season and failing to salvage meat, Alaska State Troopers said.

The trio pleaded guilty to the charges in June.

Wildlife troopers started their investigation into the shooting of the musk oxen back in March 2016, when they responded to the scene near the headwaters of Colville River in a ski-equipped state plane, troopers said.

Once there, the wildlife officers "discovered three female musk ox had been shot multiple times and left to waste," according to an account of the case posted online. Two weeks later, according to the post, the troopers found the carcass of a freshly skinned wolverine near the musk oxen.

Troopers did not say how the suspects were identified, only that through interviews with the three hunters, it was determined that they intended to use the unsalvaged herd animals as bait for wolves and wolverines.

Tazruk and the Bodfishes also stole plane fuel from a cache used by the Department of Fish and Game and the National Park Service for conducting game surveys in the area, troopers said.


The location of the incident was remote – the Colville River's headwaters are located in the western Brooks Range, about 170 miles northeast of Kotzebue. The hometown of the three men rests on the Chukchi Sea coast and is home to about 560 residents.

Wildlife troopers said they hope the case "serves as a deterrent to poachers. Cases, regardless of their remoteness, are investigated thoroughly to deter such crimes and protect Alaska's fish and wildlife resources."

The case was handled by the Office of Special Prosecutions. An attorney with the state did not immediately return a request for comment.

In addition to the restitution totaling $9,000, the men were each fined $500 and ordered to forfeit firearms connected to the case. They also received suspended monthlong jail terms and one year of probation.

About this Author

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a reporter. A graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage, he worked at the Peninsula Clarion before coming to Alaska Dispatch News.

9 grand a piece would have been more appropriate.
That is theft, the most inexcusable crime there is, especially if they left the meat and did not claim starving to death, as the motive.

shot and left to rot might be a good idea too.....

9k is a joke....

$9K must be the resident fine. If they were nonresidents it probably would have been $90K.

Best I can figure is that the Bodfish group are natives, so that likely explains much.

I believe we have a winner...

Double checked, all three are natives.

That's surprising........

Not sure it's related but my observations lead me to believe creating welfare status is not conducive to good citizenship. Ymmv

$9000 per cow per person would be better. Not that the money will ever be collected.

I didn't see that they lost hunting privileges?

...because that might actually be a deterrent.

But, but, the brown shirts 'hope' it serves as a deterrent.

Hope in one hand....

There is a percentage of our state's residents that truly believe F&G regulations don't apply to them. Considering they have violated the laws for decades and troopers are typically loathe to enforce the reg's on them, it is not surprising they have the attitude they do.

Prosecutor and Judge at fault, not the Brown Shirts.

Should have also forfeited the snow machines that were undoubtedly used as well as hunting privileges. Oh that's their "right" to hunt, it's only a privilege that can be taken away from non natives.

Jeff

I usually say "follow the money" but in this case it will never be paid.

Quick peek at Courtview shows it likely the Bodfish pair are father-son.

How about some mug shots of Tom, Billy, and Willie? My basic googling produced nada.

https://www.mylife.com/billy-bodfish/billybodfish

This is the younger and should be enough.... could not figure out how to paste the picture from my tablet.

www.usnews.com/news

Much better article... includes an extraointment or two. They were originally charged with using an illegal firearm whicha turns out to have been a 22lr pistol. That charge was dropped.