Scott Kevin Meisterheim, 55, who was arraigned within the eighth District Court of Kalamazoo County Mich. on Jan. 17 for quite a lot of unlawful deer searching costs, admits he’s “not the most ethical hunter.” According to a press assertion from Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources, he’s headed to a jury trial for the costs on Feb. 15.
“Sure, I love to kill deer,” Meisterheim informed investigating officer James Nason. “If I could kill more I would, to be honest with you.”
The Michigan DNR started investigating Meisterheim almost a yr in the past, after recommendations on his suspicious actions had been despatched to the state’s Poaching Hotline.
Meisterheim has 10 state deer searching costs towards him. Those costs embody: taking deer outdoors of lawful searching hours; searching with no license; utilizing a deer searching license of one other individual; over-the-limit of antlered deer; and possessing and transporting untagged deer.
According to the DNR, Meisterheim additionally used unlawful deer bait and hunted property with out landowner permission in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
Nason patrols Kalamazoo County, positioned south of Grand Rapids, the place most of Meisterheim’s unlawful searching exercise occurred. Nason’s investigation confirmed that Meisterheim took at the very least 11 deer from Oct. 1 to Dec. 24, 2021, together with three deer on Oct. 1.
“I am addicted to venison,” Meisterheim informed Nason. In explaining why he was in possession of so many deer, Meisterheim additionally stated that injured deer would stumble into (or die) close to his searching location, in keeping with the discharge.
The investigation additionally confirmed that Meisterheim allowed two illegally-taken deer to spoil, as they had been rejected by a butcher for processing.
Nason interviewed Meisterheim on the Kalamazoo County Jail, the place Meisterheim was being held for a home abuse cost, and is at the moment serving 18 months probation for aggravated home assault.
Meisterheim is a former actuality tv character from the primary three seasons of “Bering Sea Gold” on the Discovery Channel, the place he was reportedly depicted as a villain with again baby assist funds and a foul mood.
“This is an excellent investigation of a poacher who shows no respect for the resource or the ethics of fair chase,” DNR Law Enforcement chief Dave Shaw stated within the launch. “Violations of this type deprive law-abiding people their opportunity to have access to and enjoy a public trust natural resource, in this case whitetail deer.”