In one of the snowiest years on record, crews are working overtime to clear the streets. (David Murray/The Tribune) Wochit
The owner, operator and outfitter for a Plains big game hunting business pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court to illegally offering mountain lion hunts in areas in which he wasn’t permitted to offer such pursuits.
Ernest Jablonsky, of Big Game Pursuits, changed his plea as part of a deal signed earlier this month. As part of that deal, prosecutors agreed to drop two other charges, including conspiracy to illegally hunt and kill mountain lions, and false labeling, as well as a separate case, which stemmed from another illegal mountain lion hunt from the same year.
Jablonsky’s case at hand was filed after authorities learned he had offered to take two Wisconsin men, including co-defendant Jeffrey Perlewitz, on a mountain lion hunt in December 2013. According to court documents, Jablonsky did not have a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service to legally guide such hunts on national forest lands, according to court documents.
“I took Mr. Perlewitz where I did not have permits to take money for it, and he paid me for it,” Jablonsky, 51, told U.S. Magistrate Judge John Johnston on Tuesday.
More: Outfitter, clients accused of illegal Montana mountain lion hunt
More: Montana outfitter to plead guilty in illegal mountain lion hunt case
Court documents state Jablonsky also told the Wisconsin hunters to tell Montana hunting officials that they didn’t use a guide or outfitting service. Additionally, Jablonsky allegedly did not report the hunters when he turned in his own industry reports.
His sentencing has not yet been set.
Perlewitz is now the last person indicted on related charges to have not accepted a plea deal, as court records indicate he is expecting to take the case to trial.
Reblogged this on The Extinction Chronicles.
Jeez, does it ever end for these outfitters? I wonder if this kind of behavior is the rule and not the exception. 😦 One of the worst was an outfitter who was intentionally laming mountain lions so that those who otherwise wouldn’t have the hunting skills to get one, could:
Colorado, the state that gives new meaning to Rocky Mountain High.
Or the attention spans either. I had to laugh (ironically) about the article posted here about ‘how not to get bored on a hunting trip’. 😦
Reblogged this on seachranaidhe1.