3 face charges for illegal hunting at Army post
December 16, 2010
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Three Tennessee men face federal charges that they illegally hunted deer on the Fort Campbell Army post.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Officer Jereme Odom said Wednesday that they recovered large deer and seized property including vehicles, rifles and other hunting equipment.
Curtis Wallace, 45, Jim Edward Page, 43, both of Dover, and Wendell Taylor, 43, of Big Rock, were taken into custody Nov. 26 in the rear area of Fort Campbell, which straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee line.
Fort Campbell spokeswoman Kelly Dewitt told The Leaf-Chronicle that the federal charges can be changed and consolidated under the Lacey Act, which governs the taking and transport of wildlife.
Odom said a fourth man will also be charged.
Wallace was charged with trespassing on a military installation, hunting without a state license, not having permission of the land owner to take big game, 16 counts of illegal taking of game, 16 counts of taking wildlife by an improper method, providing a false official statement and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon.
Page was charged with trespassing on a military installation, hunting without a state license, four counts of illegal taking of wildlife, four counts of taking wildlife in an improper manner, providing a false official statement and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon.
Taylor was charged with 13 counts of illegal taking of wildlife, trespassing on a military installation, making a false official statement and not having permission of the land owner to take big game.
The federal trespassing charge carries a fine and six months imprisonment, or both, while making a false official statement could lead to a five-year federal prison term.
Fort Campbell does allow people to hunt deer with a permit on about 60,000 acres and nearly 13,000 hunters have signed up since the middle of September.
“In fact, we encourage hunters to register to hunt here,” Dewitt said in a statement.
Hunters and fishermen must also have a valid license from Kentucky or Tennessee..