Soldotna hunter convicted of shooting and leaving sub-legal moose off Denal Hwy

[AK_Skeeter]

From the local newspaper:
A months-long investigation led to the conviction of a Soldotna man who shot a sub-legal bull moose and left it to waste off the Denali Highway.
Delon B. Turner, 50, pleaded guilty to taking a moose during a closed season, a Class A Misdemeanor, in late March.
The charges stemmed from an illegal hunting incident in early September. On Sept. 4, 2021, Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a report that a hunter had killed a sub-legal moose and left the carcass, according to a statement from troopers. Upon receiving the tip, troopers conducted “extensive investigation,” which included interviews with several hunters in the area. From this, they were able to determine the vehicle and side by side (a 2017 Polaris General) that the suspect was driving.

Troopers were granted a warrant and on Oct. 31 interviewed Turner and searched his Soldotna property. Charges of wanton waste and taking a moose in a closed season were forwarded to the Office of Special Prosecution, the statement from troopers reads. Turner was charged on Jan. 5 of this year.
In court on March 24, Turner took a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to taking a moose in a closed season. He was fined $5,000 with $2,500 suspended and ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution. Additionally, Turner forfeited the side by side and revolver that he used during the illegal hunt.
Turner is on probation for two years and his hunting license was revoked for one year.

 

[trapperJ]

Loss of hunting license for one year is a joke. We all make mistake's but this doesn't seem like one

 

[william schmaltz]

Everyone likes to rag on us valley trash folks, but them guys from the KP never saw an antlered moose that wasn't legal or out of season!

 

[z987k]

I wish they'd go after that guy out in the Copper Valley that shoots 20-30 any moose he feels like a season and posts about it all over social media.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I wish they'd go after that guy out in the Copper Valley that shoots 20-30 any moose he feels like a season and posts about it all over social media.

That guy who is always shooting cows and stuff and trying to get people to go with him? I remember when he literally took a photo of himself taking a dump after bragging about the piles of cow moose he gets all the time.

 

[z987k]

That guy who is always shooting cows and stuff and trying to get people to go with him? I remember when he literally took a photo of himself taking a dump after bragging about the piles of cow moose he gets all the time.

Ya, that guy.

They know who he is and have all the evidence in the world to go after him. And they don't.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Ya, that guy.

They know who he is and have all the evidence in the world to go after him. And they don't.

He’s probably undercover for the troopers or something to get people to go with him and poach.

 

[Panhandler80]

Take the gun and ATV from the deadbeat. 5-10 no license with jail on next offense. Don’t take his cash. Now he’s just going to continue to poach AND take up theft / drug sales / etc to recoup his $7k. Probably “borrowed” ATV from a decent family member, friend or neighbor.

 

[Marbles]

Should have forfeited the vehicle he used to tow the ATV as well. Or at least no hunting/fishing for 5 years. Guess the plea deal saved his bacon.

 

[Sourdough]

What happened with the guy in Fairbanks that killed twenty some moose for wolf bait, about two or three years ago.

 

[z987k]

He don't deserve to loose his hunting license for that !

Why not? He wasted a moose.

 

[z987k]

He’s probably undercover for the troopers or something to get people to go with him and poach.

It's not legal for the government or anyone working for them to commit a crime to try to get others to also do so.
It's also not legal to entrap people.
So, I really doubt that.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

It's not legal for the government or anyone working for them to commit a crime to try to get others to also do so.
It's also not legal to entrap people.
So, I really doubt that.

If memory serves, his name is Lester Morgan. Why on earth would they not go after him?

 

[william schmaltz]

If memory serves, his name is Lester Morgan. Why on earth would they not go after him?

I think I remember seeing that dude online always referencing hunting on native land. I think at one time he shot a cow down Oilwell Road by Ninilchik and it was a whole thing. He proved it was shot on a slice of native land with tribal permission and had to wait surrounded by locals blocking him in until the troopers showed up and he took his moose and went home. So it's likely he found a loop hole in the law and the state needs to tread lightly so they don't miss an opportunity and/or open the flood gates to discussions about a free-for-all on tribal lands.

He don't deserve to loose his hunting license for that !

Delon Turner, is that you?!?!?

 

[z987k]

I think I remember seeing that dude online always referencing hunting on native land. I think at one time he shot a cow down Oilwell Road by Ninilchik and it was a whole thing. He proved it was shot on a slice of native land with tribal permission and had to wait surrounded by locals blocking him in until the troopers showed up and he took his moose and went home. So it's likely he found a loop hole in the law and the state needs to tread lightly so they don't miss an opportunity and/or open the flood gates to discussions about a free-for-all on tribal lands.

Delon Turner, is that you?!?!?

Maybe you can enlighten me, but I've never seen a law that exempts natives from hunting out of season if it's on their land. Remember that's Corporation land, not some tribal system. It'd be like me shooting a moose in my backyard and being like it's legal because I own the land.
I know there's permits they can get to hunt out of season. Most of the community hunts are like that, or there's the potlatch permits for celebrations, deaths and such, but you can't just go do whatever you want and I'd be very surprised if there's 20-30 of those opportunities per year.

 

[Kevin Dill]

"He was fined $5,000 with $2,500 suspended and ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution. Additionally, Turner forfeited the side by side and revolver that he used during the illegal hunt.
Turner is on probation for two years and his hunting license was revoked for one year."

Agree or disagree, that's pretty solid for a misdemeanor offense. The only thing I would change is the license revocation... lengthen it and/or make him petition the court for a reinstatement hearing. No automatic end to the revocation. A year is the blink of an eye. I personally would wish to see a true wanton waste offender prevented from ANY hunting and fishing opportunities during their license revocation period....and there should be national reciprocity on that.

 

[william schmaltz]

Maybe you can enlighten me, but I've never seen a law that exempts natives from hunting out of season if it's on their land.

I cannot. I don’t know anything on the matter. That’s just what I’ve seen him claim a few times online and b/c he just keeps doing it with the troopers knowing and there are no repercussions, Im just guessing he found some sort of loop hole.

 

[Dos Perros]

How big was the moose?

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I cannot. I don’t know anything on the matter. That’s just what I’ve seen him claim a few times online and b/c he just keeps doing it with the troopers knowing and there are no repercussions, Im just guessing he found some sort of loop hole.

The only thing I can think of is that he lives in some village with an aging population and no other hunters so he gets all the potlach tags. That or he's a poacher using a fake name and just gets away with it.

When he posted the picture of himself taking a dump I knew he was a high class gentleman.

 

[rickiesrevenge]

"He was fined $5,000 with $2,500 suspended and ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution. Additionally, Turner forfeited the side by side and revolver that he used during the illegal hunt.
Turner is on probation for two years and his hunting license was revoked for one year."

Agree or disagree, that's pretty solid for a misdemeanor offense. The only thing I would change is the license revocation... lengthen it and/or make him petition the court for a reinstatement hearing. No automatic end to the revocation. A year is the blink of an eye. I personally would wish to see a true wanton waste offender prevented from ANY hunting and fishing opportunities during their license revocation period....and there should be national reciprocity on that.

Pretty sure Alaska is part of the wildlife violators compact? If it is he can't hunt in any state that's also part of the compact.

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