Crime & Safety

Fenton Man Pleads Guilty for Poaching Wyoming Antelope

Christopher Cody Dennis fined $1,580, hunting and fishing license privileges revoked for 12 years.

An anonymous tip helped convict a Fenton man for the illegal shooting and killing of an antelope in northeast of Sheridan, Wy.

On March 12 Christopher Cody Dennis, 30, of Fenton, pleaded guilty to charges of being an accessory to the taking a big game animal without a license and taking an antelope with a firearm during a special archery season. He was fined $1,580 and had his hunting and fishing license privileges revoked for 12 years.

In early September 2011, Sheridan senior game warden Bruce Scigliano received a tip that Dennis had killed an antelope northeast of Sheridan without a license. It was also reported that Dennis had killed the antelope with a rifle, although the rifle season was not open at the time.

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Scigliano called Michigan Department of Natural Resources officer Linda Scheidler and she agreed to contact Dennis. Through extensive interviews, Scheidler and fellow DNR officer Jeremy Payne identified a second man involved in the incident: Steven Dubois, 30, of Mount Pleasant. Dubois admitted that he and Dennis had traveled to Sheridan on Aug. 25. On that day, Dubois used a rifle to shoot and kill an antelope on state land off the Decker Highway, northeast of Sheridan. Neither of the men had antelope licenses. 

Dubois was charged with taking a big game animal without a license and taking an antelope with a firearm during a special archery season. On March 5, 2012 he pleaded guilty to both charges. Sheridan County Circuit Court judge J. John Sampson fined Dubois $1,580 and revoked his hunting privileges for two years.

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Both men will not be able to hunt during their revocation period in Wyoming and 37 states that are members of the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact, including Michigan.

 “This case illustrates the importance of interstate cooperation in the solving of wildlife crimes,” said Scigliano. “Were it not for a concerned citizen providing the tip, and the excellent help provided by Michigan wardens, these violations would not have come to light.”

Scigliano acknowledges the help of Michigan officers Scheidler and Payne as well as Torrington, Wy. senior game warden Jon Stephens, who interviewed an acquaintance of the violators in Torrington, in the case.  

*Information provided by the Wyoming Fish & Game Department.


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