LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Cobb man has been sentenced for illegally killing a deer on a local golf course.
Nicolas George Stuckey, 24, was charged with eight counts of violating the Fish and Game Code for having shot a doe on May 7, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Hinchcliff said that on Aug. 31 Stuckey pleaded no contest to using an artificial light during hours of darkness – also known as spotlighting – to kill a deer and to killing a doe.
On May 8 State Fish and Wildlife officer Doug Willson received a report that Stuckey may have illegally killed a deer the day prior on the Black Rock Golf Course on Golf Road, Hinchcliff said.
According to reports received from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Officer Willson began an investigation and located evidence that a dead deer had recently been located in the vehicle reported to have been involved in the poaching incident.
Willson located Stuckey who, in response to questioning, initially advised the officer that he had hit a deer the night before with his vehicle and he had cut it up and left it in another location, Hinchcliff said.
Upon further questioning and investigation, Hinchcliff said Stuckey admitted that he had not hit the deer with a vehicle but had shot it by the golf course after dark.
Hinchcliff said Stuckey also admitted that he brought the deer home and had hid the carcass across the street. Officer Willson recovered the deer and found that Stuckey had not yet cut the deer up and that it was a doe.
Officer Willson located a witness who said that the night prior, Stuckey had stated he wanted to look for a buck he had been seeing near the golf course. While looking for the buck Stuckey saw a deer’s eyes glowing in the dark, shot it with a .22 rifle, and it turned out to be a doe, according to Hinchcliff's report.
The witness said the doe was standing on the golf course where the golfers tee off when Stuckey shot it. Officer Willson located the place where the doe was killed and determined it was shot less than 100 yards from two structures, Hinchcliff said.
After Stuckey entered the plea, Superior Court Judge Michael Lunas sentenced Stuckey to three years probation and ordered him to pay a fine of $1,915, according to Hinchcliff.
As a condition of probation, Judge Lunas also ordered that Stuckey is not to hunt or kill any animal or bird with any kind of weapon for three years, and he was ordered not to possess any rifle, handgun, shotgun, bow or crossbow for three years anywhere where game animals or birds can be hunted, Hinchcliff said.
Cobb man sentenced in May poaching case
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