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Illegal Deer Importing Lands Bedias Man in Trouble Save Email Print
Posted: 9:18 PM Feb 26, 2008
 Last Updated: 9:18 PM Feb 26, 2008
 Reporter: Crystal Galny
Email Address: galny@kbtx.com
10 comments
A | A | A

A Brazos Valley man is headed to federal prison for buying out-of-state deer for his Bedias ranch.

Robert Lawrence Eichenour, 51, of Bedias and Brian Becker, 37, of Minnesota pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally importing wildlife.

Eichenour and Becker secretly bought whitetail deer for the Circle E Ranch, which is owned by Eichenour, breaking both state and federal law because of the risk of disease transmission.

The two each face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $20,000. A sentencing date has not been set.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shamoil Shipchandler.
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Posted by: Les Location: CA on Mar 10, 2008 at 05:02 PM
The guy has more money than sense anyway. There will be more uncovered later....
Posted by: ANON Location: GRIMES COUNTY on Mar 4, 2008 at 03:00 PM
The law is the law, period. Obviously this was a big money making adventure for him, no matter the price. Of course there are more major issues that need addressed, but our Law does one at a time, as they are caught.
Posted by: anon Location: Madisonville on Feb 28, 2008 at 02:47 PM
You have to be joking,,,sending men to federal prison for moving deer across Texas Borders is insane,what about all of the exotic animals that are moved everyday across the Texas border.Why dont the government actually look for criminals that kill people and sell drugs to kids..
Posted by: anonomyous Location: houston on Feb 28, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Ok, yes, we do not want to get this disease spreading in texas, but sending the gut to prison is a little extreme. I say fine the mess out of him. $20,000 is probably nothing to that man. I mean does the wildlife department actually think he is the only rancher bringing deer across state lines. NO!!! He is just the one that got caught and they are trying to make a spectical out of. Has anyone asked them what happens to the deer? They have to be killed to be tested. What happens to all that meat if it tested out to be fine? Do you think is is donated to help the needy? NO it is burned with the carcasses. Sending this man to prision will not stop the other ranchers from bringing in the deer. It will just cause them to become more sneaky about it. The law is so screwed up with its rules
Posted by: What??! Location: College Station on Feb 28, 2008 at 10:53 AM
I have heard of many people importing deer to their own land for purposes of then letting hunters "hunt them". Are all these people breaking the rules or are there certain things you have to do to do it legally?? Maybe there is money involved, i.e., the people who get money from doing it legally didn't get their money in this case if it was done "secretly" and they got mad and now these guys will go to prison??
Posted by: Jjohn Location: College Station on Feb 28, 2008 at 05:31 AM
As far as I know, there never has been any in Texas, although a couple of high wire fenced elk in New Mexico (imported from Wyoming I think) tested positive some years back, requiring all the animals behind the wire to be destroyed. And Minnesota is a lot closer to the Wisconsin outbreak than Texas is, meaning that the animals being moved might be under quarantine because, as you point out, deer do cross state (and international; lot of deer in South and West Texas swim the Rio Grande) boundaries.
Posted by: corine Location: huntsville on Feb 27, 2008 at 09:42 PM
what difference does it make if they are transported.what stops the deer from crossing state lines on foot. they don't know what state they were born in.can anyone tell me the last time there was an outbreak of c w d in texas?
Posted by: Heath Location: College Station on Feb 27, 2008 at 10:09 AM
In response to Anon, they probably don't know which deer were moved into the area now since they probably didn't mark them so that they could be hunted for profit. So returning them is pretty much out. And about wasting taxpayers' money, this kind of thing is not nearly as big a waste as congress spending weeks and months investigating baseball and football players for breaking the rules regarding steroids.
Posted by: john Location: College Station on Feb 27, 2008 at 09:00 AM
I'm glad they are making an example of these guys; we don't have Mad Deer disease in Texas, and I for one don't want it. A few years back, they had to destroy 50,000 deer (in Wisconsin as I remember) to control an outbreak.
Posted by: Anon Location: Navasota on Feb 27, 2008 at 07:15 AM
We are really wasting taxpayers money on this? Make them return the wildlife on their own dime and fine them, but don't make the government pay 40,000 a year to house them, not to mention court fees they will pay. Geez....
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