Texas Hunting Forum

Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years

Posted By: Duck_Hunter

Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 04:50 PM

Among other things:

http://www.newsweek.com/texas-fines-whooping-crane-killer-revokes-his-gun-rights-513612

Quote:
The Texas man, Trey Joseph Frederick, admitted to shooting two whooping cranes in January with a rifle near the Louisiana border, according to court documents. U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn, from the Eastern District of Texas, also revoked Frederick’s hunting license and access to firearms for the next five years. The sentence includes 200 hours of community service—the most the court has ever issued—and a fine of $25,810, to be split between Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and the International Crane Foundation, an organization that raises the animals and releases them into the wild.
Posted By: garrett

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 04:52 PM

lose gun right for 5 years for killing a whooping crane...almost seems worth it, its the $25k that would stop me
Posted By: aerangis

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 04:53 PM

Lucky he didn't lose it for a lifetime.
Posted By: garrett

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 04:56 PM

Originally Posted By: aerangis
Lucky he didn't lose it for a lifetime.


yeah I thought it was a way bigger deal for killing one also
Posted By: Buffs 1

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:04 PM


Quote:
The Texas man, Trey Joseph Frederick, admitted to shooting two whooping cranes in January WITH A RIFLE near the Louisiana border,


That't the part that gets me. It's not like it was a guy on a crane hunt who just couldn't ID them.
Posted By: Duck_Hunter

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:07 PM

Originally Posted By: Buffs 1

Quote:
The Texas man, Trey Joseph Frederick, admitted to shooting two whooping cranes in January WITH A RIFLE near the Louisiana border,


That't the part that gets me. It's not like it was a guy on a crane hunt who just couldn't ID them.


If I remember correctly, he admitted to knowing what he was doing. His FaceBook page was all about what a prolific waterfowl hunter he was and how he lived and breathed it. He knew what he was doing. He pled guilty, too.
Posted By: Duck_Hunter

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:08 PM

Originally Posted By: garrett
Originally Posted By: aerangis
Lucky he didn't lose it for a lifetime.


yeah I thought it was a way bigger deal for killing one also


I did too. At least the fine part. It's up to $50k for killing them. He killed two with a rifle on purpose and was fined $28k?
Posted By: postoak

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:09 PM

The kid was only 18 years old and is probably immature for his age. I did lots of stupid things when I was a teen.

What I don't understand is how a judge can take away your gun-owning rights, unless this was part of a plea-bargain he accepted.
Posted By: LarryCopper

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:19 PM

Originally Posted By: postoak
What I don't understand is how a judge can take away your gun-owning rights, unless this was part of a plea-bargain he accepted.

I guess it is a felony crime. All felons lose the right to own guns.
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:25 PM

Originally Posted By: postoak
The kid was only 18 years old and is probably immature for his age. I did lots of stupid things when I was a teen.

What I don't understand is how a judge can take away your gun-owning rights, unless this was part of a plea-bargain he accepted.


He was convicted, there was no plea deal. Maybe with crimes against wildlife a federal judge is able to do this?
Posted By: Limit Extender

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:42 PM

I guess this wasn't in the name of science?
Posted By: garrett

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:48 PM

Originally Posted By: Limit Extender
I guess this wasn't in the name of science?


if he was only 18 and immature for his age he might not have known about that loophole
Posted By: Sniper John

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:50 PM

The lower sentencing may be related to the Louisiana stocked birds being considered a non-essential, experimental population under the Endangered Species Act. The good news is the remaining Louisiana population produced a couple chicks this year. First time in something like 75 years.
Posted By: Limit Extender

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 05:50 PM

Originally Posted By: garrett
Originally Posted By: Limit Extender
I guess this wasn't in the name of science?


if he was only 18 and immature for his age he might not have known about that loophole


It helps to be informed.
Posted By: DUKFVR

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 06:02 PM

He deserved ALOT more.
Posted By: Woodlands Water Turkey

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 06:08 PM

Agree, he got off easy.

He was bragging about what he did.
Posted By: aerangis

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 06:20 PM

Originally Posted By: garrett
Originally Posted By: aerangis
Lucky he didn't lose it for a lifetime.


yeah I thought it was a way bigger deal for killing one also


You'd think. He may be 18 but he's an adult and an experienced hunter. If he's willing to knowingly kill a protected bird and brag about it, he's not fit to hunt or possess a firearm.

Wouldn't surprise me if the boy set cats on fire when he was a kid.
Posted By: garrett

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 06:28 PM

Originally Posted By: aerangis
Originally Posted By: garrett
Originally Posted By: aerangis
Lucky he didn't lose it for a lifetime.


yeah I thought it was a way bigger deal for killing one also


You'd think. He may be 18 but he's an adult and an experienced hunter. If he's willing to knowingly kill a protected bird and brag about it, he's not fit to hunt or possess a firearm.

Wouldn't surprise me if the boy set cats on fire when he was a kid.


whoa now...lets face it, if whooping cranes wernt so dumb they wouldnt be close to extinction, so in the big scheme of things is it a huge loss?
Posted By: aerangis

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 06:38 PM

Originally Posted By: LarryCopper
Originally Posted By: postoak
What I don't understand is how a judge can take away your gun-owning rights, unless this was part of a plea-bargain he accepted.

I guess it is a felony crime. All felons lose the right to own guns.


Not sure if this applies in that young mans situation but I do know some hunting violations fall under the Texas Administrative Code. An administrative judge or TPWD can revoke your hunting license the same way DPS can revoke a drivers license at an ALR hearing. And administrative code offenses have a lower burden of proof.

Example....... Hunting without a plugged shotgun is an administrative code offense.
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five years - 10/26/16 06:39 PM

Originally Posted By: LarryCopper
Originally Posted By: postoak
What I don't understand is how a judge can take away your gun-owning rights, unless this was part of a plea-bargain he accepted.

I guess it is a felony crime. All felons lose the right to own guns.


His is only temporary, after 5 years he is allowed to have firearms and hunt/fish again according to an article I read.
Posted By: aerangis

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/26/16 06:56 PM

Originally Posted By: garrett
Originally Posted By: aerangis
Originally Posted By: garrett
Originally Posted By: aerangis
Lucky he didn't lose it for a lifetime.


yeah I thought it was a way bigger deal for killing one also


You'd think. He may be 18 but he's an adult and an experienced hunter. If he's willing to knowingly kill a protected bird and brag about it, he's not fit to hunt or possess a firearm.

Wouldn't surprise me if the boy set cats on fire when he was a kid.


whoa now...lets face it, if whooping cranes wernt so dumb they wouldnt be close to extinction, so in the big scheme of things is it a huge loss?


I wouldn't say Whooping Cranes are dumb. Obviously, they can't drive a car. But they've thrived as a specie a heck of a lot longer than we have. If it weren't for the Lacey Act, there'd be a heck of a lot more endangered or extinct wildlife including quite a few species of ducks and geese. Market hunting was he11 on wildlife at the turn of the last century.

We all know what happened to Passenger Pigeons, from an estimated population of 15 million birds to 0. And Bison....and......
Posted By: Featherduster

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/26/16 08:10 PM

For some reason I thought he lost the right to own a firearm for a lifetime. But the link you just posted proves me wrong.

Here's the way I see it. When I was 18 I did so much dumb crap that if I got caught my sentence and punishment wouldn't touch what this kid got. Looking back on all that, I realize how stupid all of that was. People grow up. I'm sure everything the kid got was enough to teach him a lesson. He probably feels terrible and is more than embarrassed. At that age embarrassment is a big thing.
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/26/16 08:23 PM

Originally Posted By: Featherduster
For some reason I thought he lost the right to own a firearm for a lifetime. But the link you just posted proves me wrong.

Here's the way I see it. When I was 18 I did so much dumb crap that if I got caught my sentence and punishment wouldn't touch what this kid got. Looking back on all that, I realize how stupid all of that was. People grow up. I'm sure everything the kid got was enough to teach him a lesson. He probably feels terrible and is more than embarrassed. At that age embarrassment is a big thing.


I think some of the confusion surrounding it is because it is a federal crime w/ punishment in federal prison (if sentenced to prison) but it is still a misdemeanor offense even though it is on a federal level.
Posted By: Duck_Hunter

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/26/16 08:41 PM

Originally Posted By: rexmitchell
Originally Posted By: Featherduster
For some reason I thought he lost the right to own a firearm for a lifetime. But the link you just posted proves me wrong.

Here's the way I see it. When I was 18 I did so much dumb crap that if I got caught my sentence and punishment wouldn't touch what this kid got. Looking back on all that, I realize how stupid all of that was. People grow up. I'm sure everything the kid got was enough to teach him a lesson. He probably feels terrible and is more than embarrassed. At that age embarrassment is a big thing.


I think some of the confusion surrounding it is because it is a federal crime w/ punishment in federal prison (if sentenced to prison) but it is still a misdemeanor offense even though it is on a federal level.


Correct.
Posted By: aerangis

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/26/16 08:45 PM

Originally Posted By: Featherduster

Here's the way I see it. When I was 18 I did so much dumb crap that if I got caught my sentence and punishment wouldn't touch what this kid got. Looking back on all that, I realize how stupid all of that was. People grow up. I'm sure everything the kid got was enough to teach him a lesson. He probably feels terrible and is more than embarrassed. At that age embarrassment is a big thing.


As a kid, when I was first handed firearms and allowed to hunt or shoot on my own, I knew better than to shoot protected wildlife, or livestock for that matter. And my fear of the law paled in comparison to the fear I had of what my old man would do to my backside if I broke the rules or the law with a firearm.

I'd imagine most folks that have been hunting long enough were taught right from wrong as I'm sure that young man was.
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/26/16 08:57 PM

Was he young and stupid, yes. Did he know better, yes. Did he get an adequate punishment, probably not.
Posted By: DUKFVR

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/27/16 02:46 AM

He is a worthless punk. He had no remorse for what he did. He was just sorry he got caught.
Posted By: john paul

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/27/16 02:39 PM

Originally I was on the "Hope they throw him under the jail" bus, but now that everything has settled down I think the punishment is adequate. Also, he will probably violate his probation and go to jail anyway.
Posted By: Hogman4127

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/27/16 02:46 PM

What John Paul said
Posted By: Featherduster

Re: Whooping Crane killer loses gun rights for five year - 10/27/16 04:10 PM

Originally Posted By: john paul
Originally I was on the "Hope they throw him under the jail" bus, but now that everything has settled down I think the punishment is adequate. Also, he will probably violate his probation and go to jail anyway.


Bingo!

If he is such a sorry kid and just has to break the law, he will land in jail eventually.
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