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Got to keep his boat? Lucky mo-fo!!
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http://www.juneaublogger.com/updates/?p=897

Game transporter fined $10,000

Story last updated at 2/24/2009 - 10:12 am
The Associated Press

ANCHORAGE - A Ketchikan big game transporter who helped two hunters leave carcasses of black bears to rot on a beach has been fined $10,000.

Randy Dobrydnia of Teasha Charters pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of unlawful acts by a big game transporter.

The hunt took place in the Portage Bay area on May 31, a day before it would have been legal to salvage only the bears� hides and skulls.

State game law requires bear meat be salvaged in the area from Jan. 1 to May 31.

Dobrydnia says the violation took place while the men were supposed to be scouting for bears.

Dobrydnia was placed on probation for three years. He also had his transporter license revoked but the judge allowed him to keep the boat.

I've seen violent felons get far less...

How do you "help somebody leave" something? Seems pretty stiff to me and illustrates the arbitrary character of bureaucrat regulations.

If I know F&G, they were pissed he got to keep the boat.

The old boy was pretty dumb. We were required to bring out mountain lion meat, I had a bag in the freezer containing 4 quarters and such, used it over and over.

No mention of what happened to the hunters. They broke the law too.

This is actually very curious -- his website indicates he is a transporter, not an outfitter. As a transporter, he should not be handling hides or meat, or even on the beach with the hunters. Theoretically, as I understand the transporter regs, since he can't help the hunters -- he shouldn't be liable for what they do without his assistance. If he "helped" them with the hides and "helped" them leave the meat -- he would be guilty of acting as an outfitter without a license, which is an offense the Troopers never ignore, at least when they have evidence.

Art -- what think you about the transporter vs outfitter implications?

Dennis

I do believe they had their eye on this 'transporter' for a while. For Guide Law violations under a 'transporter' license. This is the violation they could probably make work in court. And they used it to the max ... type thing. JMHO

As muledeer states there are obvious Guide Law violations there. I wouldn't be surprised if the Fed's step in now for Fed violations.

I believe being able to keep his boat was part of a plea agreement. Also JMHO.

I would also say there are probably several other 'transporters' worrying when they read this article.

Let's see... Guides made the rules... License for guides and transporters is the same... Guides can do everything a transporter can do AND guide... Hmmmm...

Several probable issues:
1) Transporters are required to report the amount of meat salvaged by hunters.
2) Transporters are required by law to report violations by clients.
3) Transporters are frequent sting targets, and get popped for ridiculous stuff. For example there was the SE guy that dropped hunters on the beach and then stayed in the area waiting for them!?!
4) Transporter is not allowed under State regs to help with processing, seems if he had the State would have prosecuted him for that.

Sting here would surprise me none...

Guessing the two likely charge points were the not reporting a crime and mis-reporting on his paperwork to the State. He possibly changed the date by one day for his papers???

If he had done anything to violate the Federal laws related to guiding I would applaud it. Exclusive concessions for guides are against the AK Constitution and the Feds give Alaska the middle finger and do it anyway. As a transporter he can take folks to Federal lands under a (different individual) guide's exclusive contract without problem. I am not seeing any likely Fed guiding violation that would not have triggered more or different charges from the State.

If they have been pursuing this guy for some time and that was the best they had I think they should have left him alone...
art

Transporter vs. outfitter...
Guides can do what many call outfitting, but Transporters may not... Renting gear and such is not legal for a transporter. So it would actually be guiding violations.

Did I mention guide and transporter licenses cost the same and guides wrote the rules?
art

I noted that too.

I agree that it appears hard to find fault with the transporter. His job is to drop them off and pick them up. I guess he was transporting "illegally taken" game.

Hope the hunters went more severely punished (prolly not!)

They (Fur cops?) were probably "out to get" this transporter, with some helpful "inside information" (from the guides) to keep an eye out for the guy.

So I take it the outfitters own the gold, since they make the rules?

I'm sure there's more to the story . . . .

In #3 the violation you probably are referring to is the bust on POW Island a couple years ago. The clients at the time of the bust were non-resident aliens. Residents of Spain. The transporter even sold them regular non-resident hunting licenses. He was also under the 'eye' for obvious Guide Law violations. The fact that they stayed in the field was only a small part of the indictment. The licensed Transporter left and wasn't even there .. he was out of state. His Charter captains were conducting the hunts. That high profile bust slowed down allot of the POW Island illeagle transporting and guiding.

One Fed Law that I could think of would be going ashore (onto Fed Lands) without a Use Permit. If you have paying clients for any purpose (not exclusive to hunting guiding) and accompany those clients on Fed Lands you must have a Use Permit. Among other possible Fed violations. It seems many times the Feds move on a violation some time after the State finishes.

Art .... you know the wheels of justice turn very slowly. Many times many people including the Troopers know a certain 'transporter' is Guiding. Those violations can be hard to prove in court. So, many times they take the bust they can. A video, as in this case, is hard to argue innocence in court, even with a good lawyer.

I doubt if this person will ever 'transport' again.

I don't believe any Guides here in Ketchikan were even remotely ever involved with this 'transporter' ... I know them and in just talking with one, yesterday, he didn't even know or know of the transporter. But saw the Troopers towing the Boat last May into town.

Why blame the Guides for this ... no Guides ever Guide that area at all. There are only 2 Guides that have that Unit and they Guide much further out of town.

There are many illeagle 'transporters' working the POW Island / Ketchikan areas .... thats a known.

POW Island is the Poster Child for illeagle Black bear activity in the State of Alaska ... it's no secret.

Big Brother is watching. In this case hiding in the woods and filming !!!!!!

You make a good point -- in almost eight years of living here and paying a little attention, I've never heard of this guy or his operation.

It's interesting, at least.

I'm still interested in what happened, or didn't happen, to the hunters, since bagging them would have been an easy two-fer for the Troopers.

Dennis

Betting sting...

For cause?

I just caught this story.. ADN says the "hunters" got reduced charges for testifying against the transporter.. What?!!!

Amazing how a trooper will hide in the woods for 3 days to catch a guy leaving bear meat 8 hours too early, but they can't hide in the woods to catch an army of spotlighters during the rut on POW......

Nice.....

[quote=ropes]


There are many illeagle 'transporters' working the POW Island / Ketchikan areas .... thats a known.

POW Island is the Poster Child for illeagle Black bear activity in the State of Alaska ... it's no secret.
[quote]

Ropes,

I always thought it was weird that it seems next to impossible for a guy to become a guide in his place of residence. How many guides actually operate on POW? Is it completely locked up as far a new guys entering the business? I know you and Bobby are local guides.. any other locals? I see some Sitka and Wrangell guys down here guiding.

Not really ... Bobby and I did it ... in history there was Steve Scheldt and Ralph Burnett from Thorne Bay.


There are 9 Guides currently permitted by the USFS to work unit #2 and one Guide working under a Native Corp permit with no USFS permit.


The USFS put a cap on any new Black Bear permits and no additional Bears on existing permits. 129 Black Bear hunts under USFS permit. 1 hunter = 1 hunt (not kills).Success is not 100% and Guides do not book 100% of their permitted hunts normally. There is no cap on Sitka Blacktail. That just applies to USFS Lands.
A person could get licensed up and get a Native Corp permit to conduct business on their lands. But Corporations are difficult and expensive to get a permit through.
With a new ruling we can sell our existing buisnesses / and transfer permits to a Registered Guide who qualifies under USFS rules, under stipulations.
So there are ways for a new Guide to enter the business.


No other POW locals licensed as Registered Guides, Bobby is a Registered Guide but works under Muskeg permit,(except Kurt is moving to POW and now basically calls it home).. also .. 1 from Wrangell, 1 from California, 1 from Sitka, 2 from Ketchikan, 1 from Washington and 1 from Northern AK that holds a permit (for 2 Bears) but hasn't guided, I don't think.

And there are currently 2 licensed Assistant Guides out of Craig.

Ropes,

Thanks for the reply. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around big game guiding in AK.

The way I understand it, a guy needs to be an assistant guide to one of those 9 registered guides for 2 seasons to become a "guide"? So, essentially, the guides control who becomes a guide by who they hire? (or not hire) Does that apply for deer guides too?

And, did I read that correctly that the feds just gave you guys transferable "IFQ's" for bears? You can sell the right to guide for bears on federal land?

Calvin
This ain't about America, constitutiions, or right... It is about a bunch of folks making rules to promote and protect their self interests.
art