71-Year-Old Man Fined $13,000 for Poaching Multiple Deers in South Dakota

After admitting to poaching more than a dozen deer because they were destroying trees on his property, a 71-year-old South Dakota man was charged with 14 counts of hunting big game without a license.

Although the case was centered upon the evidence of 14 dead deer, court records reveal that in 2021, the defendant acknowledged killing up to 100 deer without a license.

John T. Widdoss, a Spearfish resident, pleaded guilty to seven crimes and was sentenced on Jan. 19, receiving a total fine of $13,324.50, over $700 in court fees, 15 days in jail, and a one-year suspension of hunting rights. According to the Black Hills Pioneer, the remaining seven offenses were dropped as a plea agreement.

Investigating Leads

Last spring, wildlife conservation officer Josh Thompson of the South Dakota Game and Fish got an anonymous complaint concerning odd behavior on the Widdoss farm, including allegations of unusual gunfire outside of hunting season, wounded deer, and dead deer.

According to public records, Widdoss owns 120 acres west of Spearfish. On one site, at least five evergreen shelterbelts are growing beside houses and roadways, with some rows of trees being smaller than others, according to recent satellite images.

One SDGF employee claimed that deer would cause a lot of harm to the needles in the winter when [new trees] are little and the snow is thick. "You can kill them by stripping the needles off the trees," he added.

Most of the deer were whitetails, but Lawrence County, which contains the northern half of South Dakota's Black Hills, also had mule deer.

Thompson, the case's principal investigator, acknowledged that deer had harmed many species of Widdoss' trees in a shelterbelt he was planting. However, Thompson notes that landowners dealing with animal problems have access to proper channels.

Punishment for Poaching

Given the nature of the crime, poaching events are notoriously difficult to prosecute. Standard requirements are for surveillance, capturing poachers in the act, and even collecting bullets and connecting them to weapons in the suspect's possession.

Widdoss acknowledged more infractions than prosecutors could charge him within this instance. "This is the most serious degree of poaching for deer offenses that I've ever seen in eight years of law enforcement," Thompson testified on Jan. 19. "And, to be honest, my supervisor, who has also worked in Lawrence County for the past 30 years. ...that day, we found 14 deer and charged [Widdoss] with them. "The Defendant acknowledged to poach 75 to 100 deer," the judge said.

Consequences

Parts of the original court transcript were obtained by local attorney and FACT board member Joe Kosel and posted on Facebook by South Dakotans Fighting Animal Cruelty Together. According to Kosel, he uploaded snippets of the hearings because the scope of the poaching incidents-and Widdoss' reaction to them-was "infuriating."

Widdoss was eventually sentenced to seven 15-day prison terms, which he is presently serving at home in one 15-day stretch. According to Kosel, this is very typical, who also believes Widdoss' home arrest was likely approved owing to his age.

Widdoss' hunting license was canceled for seven years, one year for each offense to which he pleaded guilty, although only one year of hunting rights was lost.

Thompson said that they relied largely on the public and said wardens all around the country rely heavily on the general public in reporting breaches, tips, and calls.

He added that to conserve our wildlife and public resources for future generations, we need everyone to push each other to a higher standard.

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