Ted Nugent Charged With 11 Misdemeanor Hunting Violations
"There are hundreds of millions of gun owners in this country, and not one of them will have an accident today. The only misuse of guns comes in environments where there are drugs, alcohol, bad parents, and undisciplined children. Period." -Ted Nugent
It looks as though Mr. Nugent was a bit off on this quote, and not just when he remarked that the United States has "hundreds of millions of gun owners." He was also wrong about the misuse of guns, on a personal level.
Nugent, the rocker from the '70s, was charged with 11 misdemeanor hunting violations. His Outdoor Channel show, "Spirit of the Wild," features him hunting. Two California game wardens were watching his February 9th episode and were surprised to see him allegedly violate multiple California hunting laws. The wardens apparently saw Nugent kill a "spike" buck, a young buck with short antlers. It is illegal to kill spike bucks in California. The deer also appeared to be feeding on commercial deer bait, which is illegal to use for hunting in California. The Department of Fish and Game investigated, and concluded that the material was in fact commercial deer bait.
We looked at it and we just shook our heads, saying 'I can't believe he actually aired this episode,' Foy said, The Sacramento Bee reports. We were all really disappointed to see this happen with a guy who is a representative of hunters.
Ted Nugent pleaded no contest to the hunting violations after agreeing to a plea with the Yuba County district attorney. He did not have to appear in court; he was represented by Jack Kopp. Nugent must pay a $1,750 fine.
Hunting laws are largely an area of state law under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Congress can regulate hunting conducted on federal land. States can add additional regulations to hunting on federal land, as long as the state regulations do not conflict with federal law.
Related Resources:
- Select State Laws on Hunting and Trespassing (FindLaw)
- Hunting, Animals, and Trespassing (FindLaw)
- Hunting (LawBrain)
