Gary Finch host of a regional outdoor show called “Gary Finch Outdoors” has been charged with multiple hunting violations in Florida during a recent turkey hunt. Florida Wildlife officers caught him and his cameraman allegedly with multiple violations including exceeding the daily bag limit, exceeding the season limit, hunting over bait, and lying about his state of residency.
Gary Finch
Stories like this are just unbelievable and you got to wonder how someone can do things like this and stay in the industry. It’s one thing when someone makes a mistake or forgets to do something but this would appear on the surface to be blatant acts on his part. I have little use for slobs in our sport.
JACKSON COUNTY
While patrolling northern Jackson County, Officer David Arnette and K-9 Officer Mike Guy checked several bait sites on private property. While checking one of the sites, they discovered a fresh turkey feather which showed signs of being broken off, as if shot. While heading to another bait site, they heard two gunshots. They came upon two hunters carrying two freshly killed turkeys. Just beyond the hunters, the officers observed that the hunters had set up on a food plot where wheat seed was scattered over the ground. There were also fresh turkey feathers in the food plot where the turkey had been killed. When questioned about the second turkey, the two hunters took the officers to where they had killed it. This area was also baited with wheat seed. Interviews were conducted and one of the hunters also admitted to killing two turkeys the day before, one of which was also taken over a baited site. This hunter was in possession of a resident hunting license, although he is actually a resident of Alabama. Three of the four turkey hunts had been filmed for an outdoor hunting show the two men produced. Charges for taking turkey over bait, taking over the daily bag limit, taking over the season bag limit, and obtaining a resident hunting license by giving false information have been direct filed with the State Attorney’s Office.
FWC Law Enforcement Field Operations Weekly Report 15 April 2010
Finch’s cameraman, Steven Royce Layton, of Brewton, Ala., is also charged with one count of taking wild turkey within 100 yards of a feeding station. Authorities say he was within 67 yards of an active feeding station.
Our sport does not need folks that cheat like this especially in the public arena of outdoor television.
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