MCCORDSVILLE – Two men face criminal charges after being accused of hunting more geese than allowed under Indiana law.
In early January, Indiana conservation officers were tipped off to a group hunting geese and ducks near the corner of county roads 500W and 900N in McCordsville.
The caller told police he saw the group of men shoot more than six geese, drive away and later return to the same location to hunt more. State law prohibits hunters from shooting more than three Canada geese in one day. For three hunters, that limit would have been nine.
Now, Zachary Reynolds, 26, 7041 N. County Road 500E, Greenfield, and Joshua Plank, 39, 5457 W. County Road 900 N, McCordsville, each face a single Class C misdemeanor of intentionally taking a migratory bird above the seasonal limit. Both admitted to knowing the law that protects against over-hunting, court documents state.
Hancock Superior Court 2 Judge Dan Marshall has ordered both to appear for a hearing in early March.
When conservation officer Jet Quillen arrived to the field that day, he found Reynolds, Plank and another man (who doesn’t face charges). In their truck, they had nine geese and two mallard ducks.
When he asked the men whether they had shot any other geese, Reyonlds and Plank looked at each other, documents state.
The men said they had shot additional geese — five or six — earlier in the day, documents state.
The third hunter said he shot only one goose, and Reynolds and Plank admitted to shooting the rest, according to charging documents. Between the two of them, they shot 10 more geese than the legal limit, documents state.
Quillen asked the men if they were aware of the law that prohibits hunters from hunting more than three geese in a day. They said they were aware of the law, but “they had a really poor waterfowl hunting season and could not pass up the opportunity,” they said, according to charging documents.
They also admitted what they did was wrong, court records state.
The men won’t be arrested unless they fail to appear for their court hearing March 8.
The count carries a penalty of up to 60 days in jail and $500 in fines.
