A suspect in a tragic moose poaching case was arrested this weekend by Vermont State Game Wardens.
According to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Gerin Fortin, 20, of Irasburg was arrested on Sunday and charged with six counts of big game violations, including taking game by illegal means in a closed season, as well as two counts of shooting from a motor vehicle.
Fortin allegedly shot a cow moose from his pickup truck on Saturday, September 23, 2017, in Westmore. According to a witness, Fortin then struck it with his truck and shot it again in the head. The moose was killed out of season and at night.
Fortin then allegedly chained the moose up to his truck and dragged it more than 11 miles to the town of Orleans, where it was left to rot by the side of the road.
Making it even more tragic, the moose was lactating, indicating that she likely had a calf with her.
Vermont’s regulated moose hunting season is in October and is limited to a small number of hunting permits that are allocated through a lottery system. Fortin did not possess a moose hunting permit.
Fortin’s Ford F150 pickup truck was seized as evidence, along with his rifle, ammunition and truck chains.
Fortin is due in Orleans County Superior Court on December 26, 2017. He faces fines and restitution of up to $8,000 and up to one year in jail.
We don’t think that is nearly enough punishment for what this young boy did.
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is requesting anyone with information about any poaching activity to call their local warden through their nearest state police dispatch, or they may leave an anonymous tip to Operation Game Thief at 1-800-75ALERT (1-800-752-5378).
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