[redwitch]

Russ, the odds are pretty good that the charges are real. Sadly, these practices (hunting out of season on your own property) are pretty common in big game states. People buy the ranches for the specific purpose of big game hunting. They think the laws don't apply to them because it is their own property. They know the licensing laws, they just don't think they apply to them.

Jail time is very, very rare. Fines are common. Now, if Morse, Rainey, et al. pay the fines and then do the same thing again, you can bet your bottom dollar that Montana will go after them big time and jail will be part of the final outcome. But for the first go-round, it is fines. The reality is that out-of-season hunting is a big money maker for big game states. The hunting licenses are $20K and up, the fines for hunting out of season are priced accordingly. The states don't want to pay for jail/prison time -- they make much more money with the fines.

What I don't understand is why Morse's penalities are so much higher than Rainey's. From everything I've read and from friends in Montana who know the case well, Rainey committed the more heinous offenses. He was the one who allegedly left the carcasses to rot; cut off the legs of an elk to get better pictures. Both hunted out of season. Not sure who was the one who had a couple of carcasses buried.

I do think what occurred is nauseating, but it is not uncommon. It shows a lack of character and, to me, a lack of morality, but it is done all the time. To many hunter/ranch owners, it ranks up there with speeding -- illegal and you pay your ticket if caught, but no big deal. To those who abide by the laws, they cheer when their neighbors are caught but would never dream of reporting them. For law-abiding hunters, these crimes should be punished and are definitely not okay. For non-hunters, these crimes are nauseating.