LOGAN, W.Va. — Two West Virginia men face steep penalties for game law violations in recent weeks.
Natural Resources Police charged a Logan County man after he admitted he killed a second trophy buck in Logan County. Cameron Stover of Lake admitted in Logan County Magistrate Court he had already killed one buck legally during the 2013 archery season when he loosed an arrow on a second trophy buck November 16, 2013.
Logan County, known for producing massive trophy whitetail deer, has a one-buck annual limit for archery hunting. There is no firearms season in Logan County.
Officers were alerted to the possible violation from a tip and began to question Stover. Following his admission, Stover was cited for exceeding the season bag limit, illegal possession of wildlife, hunting after killing a legal deer, and failure to check game. Furthermore, Stover’s case was magnified by the the deer’s size. The 11-point buck had an inside spread exceeding 20 inches. The excessive size on the rack triggered a enhanced penalty of 2,500 dollars in addition to the normal 200 dollar replacement fee along with other fines and court costs.
Natural Resources Police say the illegally killed buck had a gross Pope and Young score of 180 2/8 and a net score of 168 3/8. The buck’s head was confiscated in the investigation.
A Pendleton County man was stripped of his hunting privileges in West Virginia for ten years and fined for the killing of a bald eagle.
Natural Resources Police followed the case for months amid reports an immature bald eagle had been shot. They focused the investigation on Chris Armentrout, 41, of Franklin, W.Va. Officers received an anonymous tip Armentrout bragged about killing the eagle and disposing of the carcass.
Officers eventually located the dead eagle’s remains dumped in a stream. He was charged with the illegal taking/killing of a bald eagle. Armentrout pleaded guilty in Pendleton County Magistrate Court November 4, 2013 to illegal possession of a bald eagle. He was fined 1,500 dollars plus 160 dollars in court costs. He automatically had his West Virginia hunting license revoked for 10 years.