Kent County Man Convicted of Poaching 17-Point Buck
Sentenced Under Maryland’s New Anti-Poaching Law
A Kent County man convicted Tuesday of illegally killing a potential state record white-tailed deer was ordered to pay a fine, make restitution to the state and perform community service.
Ronald Wayne Roe, 28, of Worton, was found guilty on all counts of trespassing and poaching stemming from the shooting of a 17-point buck September on private property.
District Judge John Nunn III sentenced Roe to pay $5,000 in restitution and perform 80 hours of community service, as mandated by the state’s anti-poaching law. Roe also received a $500 fine – $250 suspended – and three years of unsupervised probation. His hunting privileges were suspended for two years. The trial lasted two days over the course of two months.
Joseph Bogdan, the landowner who had targeted the massive buck for several years only to have Roe shoot it, told Judge Nunn it was “the kind of deer that makes a good neighbor a bad neighbor.” At first, he said, he congratulated Roe but as the facts came out “it went sour after that. The deer was baited, killed and gutted on my property.”
A scorer for the Boone and Crockett Club, which measures deer antlers for possible records, said the rack was 212 7/8 total inches. That would have secured the club’s top spot for Maryland crossbow hunters and a top 10 overall state ranking.
The case began on Sept. 12, when officers received a call from a Kent County resident about a suspected case of illegal hunting involving a large buck. An officer located two piles of bait on Bogdan’s property adjacent to land owned by Roe and where he had placed a tree stand. The officer also found a blood trail leading from the bait to the spot where a buck had been field dressed.
Roe told police that he shot the deer with a crossbow on his property but that it died on his neighbor’s property. However, friends called by Roe after he killed the deer contradicted that account, testifying they helped drag the carcass to his property and then to his vehicle. Bogdan’s property was posted with “No Trespassing” signs in numerous locations.
The anti-poaching law took effect June. It requires judges to order restitution and community service in cases of deer poaching. The monetary penalty is based on the measurement of the antlers scored on the Boone and Crockett Club system. A buck with antlers scoring 150 or fewer points requires restitution of $2,000 to $5,000 and 80 hours of community service. A buck with antlers scoring more than 150 points requires restitution of $5,000 to $10,000 and 80 hours of community service. A deer without antlers requires restitution of $300 to $500 and 40 hours of community service.
Roe is the third man sentenced under the law.
Officers on patrol last weekend in the Woodbrook Cooperative Wildlife Management Area charged five Carroll County residents in connection with illegal off-road riding.
On Saturday, Galen Robert Monti Jr., 23, of Westminster, was arrested and charged with driving on a suspended license, displaying the license plate issued to another vehicle, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and operating a vehicle on state land without a permit.
A passenger, Tyler Alexander, 21, of Westminster, was taken into custody for being a fugitive from justice in Pennsylvania and was held pending extradition.
A dirt bike operator, Carl Young, 58, of New Windsor, was issued a citation for driving on state property without a permit.
On Sunday, officers arrested two all-terrain vehicle riders for illegal riding and attempting to flee after being ordered to stop.
Amber Nicole Blizzard, 18, and Michael Gary Walker, 19, both of Mount Airy, were charged with attempting to elude police, operating an off-road vehicle on public property without permission and operating a vehicle on state land without a permit. Walker also was charged with failing to obey a police officer.
Woodbrook is a 522-acre tract owned by Carroll County and managed by the department. No motorized vehicles are allowed.
Trial dates are pending for all five people.
Tips on social media led officers to charge an Allegany County man Friday with turkey and deer poaching.
James Corey Buckley, 43, of Little Orleans, received citations for hunting turkey in a closed season, failing to report the turkey kill, exceeding the antlered deer bag limit during bow season and failing to report a deer kill. He also was issued seven written warnings for hunting-related violations.
Buckley posted a photo on Facebook of a turkey he killed, which was shared with officers. They could not find a corresponding state harvest record.
Buckley volunteered that he killed the turkey in November and then realized the season was closed. While interviewing Buckley, officers noticed two antlered deer heads in his garage. Checking state records, they found that he killed a 6-point buck with a bow Nov. 11 in Frederick County. Buckley told officers he killed the 5-point buck with a bow in Allegany County in December but did not check it in.
Buckley is scheduled to appear in Allegany County District Court April 11.
