VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Criminal charges are expected to be filed against six Barnes County men for their involvement in the illegal taking of big game and other wildlife-related violations throughout the county, which allegedly includes the poaching of a number of whitetail deer.

Outdoors reporter Nick Simonson said at the center of the group of six alleged poachers and abettors is a 23 year-old rural Valley City man, who is facing several counts including: violation of protection of big game animals, using artificial light in the taking of big game, violation of resident licensing requirements, tampering with evidence, providing false information to law enforcement, hunting big game without an appropriate big game license and violation of North Dakota’s big game proclamation.

Tonya Duffy, Barnes County State’s Attorney, said “the problem is there is a lot of deer and you can only prove so much, so I’m charging one man with everything I can prove, which is six deer.” Once someone is formally charged more details will be released at that time.

Perry Kapaun, President of the Barnes County Wildlife Federation, said, “these are actions of slobs and poachers, not hunters; they take away opportunities from many people to lawfully harvest an animal, and here they were needlessly slaughtered and went to waste,” Kapaun added, “it’s a bad deal, it goes against everything that outdoors men and women and Barnes County Wildlife Federation stand for.” The full interview with Perry Kapaun is attached below.

Story submitted to NewsDakota.com by Nick Simonson.

More details about this story are available in the Outdoors Edge segment of NewsDakota.com