Poacher’s ‘Deer Addiction’ Claim Doesn’t Work

A convicted Ohio poacher evidently thought if he told a judge during his sentencing hearing last week that he is powerless when he sees big deer—especially out of season—it might help his case.

Guess what? He was W-R-O-N-G!

A 43-year-old Greenfield, Ohio man’s claim that he couldn’t help himself and was “addicted to killing big deer” didn’t affect Judge David McKenna of Hillsboro Municipal Court when sentencing him and three other men charged with a combined 28 wildlife violations related to poaching trophy deer in 2007.

The Coshocton Tribune reports that Jonathan Martin, 43, of Greenfield, was convicted of eight misdemeanor counts related to the illegal harvesting of whitetail deer and wild turkey. Martin’s hunting privileges were revoked for 20 years and he was ordered to pay more than $2,500 in fines and restitution. In addition, he was ordered to forfeit a rifle, archery equipment, photographs, deer antlers and meat to the state.

Acting on calls to the Ohio Turn In A Poacher (TIP) hotline, the ODNR Division of Wildlife worked with the Highland County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission to seize more than 150 pieces of evidence during a three-month undercover investigation that began in December.

Unfortunately, as is often the case in trophy poaching situations, personal ego played a major part in the breaking case. The confiscated evidence included 86 “hero-type” photographs linking the men to the illegal game and directly contributed to their convictions.

And, not surprisingly, it turns out that Martin was a repeat-offense game violator. Court records show that between 2004 and 2007 he was convicted of harvesting a total of four Boone and Crockett-class whitetails deer by unlawful means.