Former President of Hagerman Chapter of Ducks Unlimited Sentenced for Baiting Waterfowl
BOISE – Charles D. Steele, 48, of Hagerman, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to one year of supervised probation for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale ordered Steele to immediately pay a $2,000 fine, the proceeds of which will go to the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund Account. During the probation period, Steele is prohibited from hunting anywhere in the United States. He was also ordered to perform 25 hours of community service approved by the United States Probation Office.
On September 25, 2012, Steele pleaded guilty to the charge. According to court documents, he admitted placing significant quantities of whole corn on private farmland in Gooding County, in order to attract waterfowl and enhance hunting opportunities. Steele is the former president of the Hagerman Chapter of Ducks Unlimited.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with the assistance of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
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