Hunting license revocations can be harsh

V. Paul Reynolds

Contributed•September 14, 2021

In Michigan last fall, a guided elk hunter holding a cow tag accidentally shot a bull elk. Upon discovering the mistake, the hunter and his guide immediately notified a state conservation officer. After a thorough investigation, it was concluded that, indeed, it was an “honest mistake.” The hunter did not have his rifle confiscated or go to jail, but he ultimately paid a $1,000 fine and had his hunting license revoked.

The bull elk was confiscated by the state and the meat was donated to a worthy charity.

This incident begs the question: Did the punishment fit the crime?

In Maine, as in other states, not a hunting season goes by without incidents like the Michigan one, where hunters misjudge the sex of an animal in the heat of the hunt, or, worse, kill two animals by mistake…