Gary Harp and Gary Smith both plead guilty to numerous game violations after Utah Wildlife officials acting on a tip from the public caught the men with numerous poached animals at their home.
Two Panguitch men who pleaded guilty Thursday to a handful of wildlife violations were sentenced to jail for illegally killing 13 animals. The two poachers also lost their hunting privileges for decades to come.
Gary Harp, 35, pleaded guilty in 6th District Court to two third-degree felonies and three class A misdemeanors and was sentenced by Judge Wallace Lee to 36 months probation and six months in jail.
Gavin Smith, 19, pleaded guilty to one third-degree felony and four class A misdemeanors and was sentenced to probation and 60 days in jail.
The men were also fined $2,500 each and must jointly pay $18,000 in restitution. Their weapons — two .22-caliber rifles and a 30-30 rifle — were confiscated.
Garfield County Attorney Barry Huntington added that Harp could lose his hunting privileges for up to 48 years, and Smith could be banned from hunting for up to 34 years.
Salt Lake Tribune
This was a big story while I was out in Utah getting a lot of play on the news across the state. It would seem that Utah takes its wildlife resources seriously and they work quickly and swiftly to protect them. It also shows the importance of the general public phoning in tips to the poaching hot line in their state.
