The owner of a Washington County deer farm must pay fines totaling $70,000 in a civil case that could also yield the confiscation of about 1,000 fallow and red deer, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Jens Brynteson, whose farm near Warthen, Ga., is known as Hoofbeat Plantation, will have 30 days to appeal the administrative order, the DNR said in a statement outlining its case, based on an 18-month investigation.
Although the statutory purpose of deer farms is to provide an agricultural opportunity to raise non-native deer for commercial food production, Georgia authorities say the landowners were moving the animals to large, fenced enclosures, where hunters would pay to shoot them.
"Not only are these so-called 'canned hunts' illegal in Georgia, the shooting of farmed deer for sport in staged hunting venues serves no legitimate role in wildlife conservation," said Dan Forster, the director of Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division.
Mr. Brynteson's deer farm had another problem. Its license expired March 31.
"Georgia law imposes strict requirements on those who operate deer farms," Mr. Forster said. "These requirements are designed to ensure the prevention, detection and interception of wildlife-related diseases, such as chronic wasting disease and tuberculosis, which can have a devastating impact on our state's conservation and agricultural economies."
Mr. Brynetson, who has posted his side of the story on the plantation's Web site, wrote that DNR's involvement in his operation is depriving him of the use of his own personal property: the animals. The farm, he wrote, was created to sell meat and antler products, but the market for such commodities has been poor.
In July 2002, Georgia banned importation of deer because of chronic wasting disease, a highly contagious ailment that could threaten native whitetail deer.
"This brings up a big question. What are we supposed to do with these deer if we cannot sell them?" he wrote. "The only solution at this time is to allow hunting of the deer like they do in most other states."
Georgia authorities proposed that he donate his deer herd to the "Hunters for the Hungry" program that provides meat for needy families.
"That solution is absurd," he wrote. "We have six years of our lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars in these animals."
DNR also imposed a civil penalty of $2,000 against one of Mr. Brynetson's employees, David Kilgore of Madison County. Mr. Kilgore was also issued 29 misdemeanor citations for violations of Georgia's trapping laws.
Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Oh deer.....what some people will do for a little doe......
Just to make a buck.............
Better get used to this type of "regulation". This is what the left is all about. You can own land and animals, but they'll tell you how to dispose of them and whether or not you can profit from them. The next 3.5 years are going to be very tough on everyone.
humble - LOL - Nicely done! I appreciate the early morning chuckle.
I think the farm owner should have gotten out of this a while back. It's obvious he lost money the first few years, only broke even one year and has continued to lose money hand over fist since 2002. Canned hunts are illegal and he knows this. He's even let his license expire. Yet he continues to rail against the DNR for suppressing his income when there is no income to be had given the market and current deer sales regulations. Georgia is not the only state with this type of regulation. He'd do best to donate the deer to the hunger program, use the charitable deduction and write off the business as a loss before it gets to the point where he can no longer do even that.
ok let give him the same treatment that VICK got for the dogs. Or is this different. Come on all networks let me hear you.
There has to be regulations set up. And enforced. A man in a very small county near there let his horse ( old ) that had a lot of teeth and hoof problems, just starve and die in the field. He said he couldn't afford a vet. Didn't even bury him. And he has more money than 5 families. There is a seat reserved in hell for people that would fence deer and let the hunters just shoot them. Also for people that don't do right by their animals. I believe that deer have to be hunted during season, legally, but those country people think they can do as they please just because they live so far out. I hope the deer are taken away from the guy.
I don't think animals should come before people. He broke the law, but its no different than hunting on these big plantations for white tail, quail, and pheasant. I am a hunter and there is no sport in paying for an easy kill, but people should have the right to do what they want with there own land. It is the governments fault for letting them import these deer in the first place. Its happened for centuries and non-native species should not be imported. There is a reason why they don't live here. FL has or had a very liberal laws importing non-native species, and there is a big problem with exotic animals roaming around. Did yall know Cougars have been spotted in Columbia County.
There shouldn't be any problem with this case and decision. The laws enforced by the court have been on the books for many years; the businessman was knowledgeable about the laws and states so in his interview. He knew what he was doing was illegal; he was found out and prosecuted. If he needed the law changed to support his new idea of liquidating his inventory, he should have brought this to the attention of his representatives and worked to change the law. He did it and was caught. End of story.
cajunnana2000 - I did not read anywhere in the story that the deer were being abused and deer that did not "perform" were electrocuted. Vick and his buddies DID do these things to man's best friend. That entire group are a bunch of sick individuals.
PT: Exactly how much power does the "left" hold in Ga? None. I like how you "righties" pick and choose which laws you wish to obey.
I agree if laws were broken then they should be enforced, but for a man to go to jail or face heavy fines for an animal is a bit ridiculous. I am not against the laws that protect animals from unusual cruel actions, but this is live stock not domesticated pets. Live stock are raised to be slaughtered. I don't think a bullet is a form of animal cruelty. People have shot animals for many humane reasons. What about the millions of strays that are put to death every year to keep our environment safe from stray animals.
I have seen the place in question here. To classify this as "canned hunts" as described by the DNR is far from the truth. I have seen videos of canned hunts and this is by far not even close. The enclosure is 900 acres! I don't know if the city folks can fathom how big 900 acres actually is but it certainly gives the animals fair chase. The only reason for the fence is to keep the animals from affecting the native species or environment. I agree that laws are put into place for a reason but I also agree that every American that has read anything about our history would agree that sometimes the only way to change laws that need to be changed is to oppose them. You see the only way to get this to the public eye was to push the issue. Nobody cared before laws were broken.
This is more of a political matter than anything else. Why are they not going after the big hunting plantations in South GA? They are easy hunts, but they produce revenue for the state and the local poor rural communities. I do like the GA DNR every DNR Officer I have came across has been very professional, and I support there cause. However, the GA DNR is probably losing funding and are looking for ways through fines to keep their jobs. OSHA I hardly ever saw them on the projects I serviced, now they are every where passing out heavy fines, that they once gave warning for. Goverment agencies are looking for more ways to fine people to maintainn their agencies budgets
I agree with Milton's posts.
It's funny how people left and right winged; black and white; rich and poor pick their battles! I say let him serve 23 months in federal jail as Mike Vick did. It wasn't hard searching for similarities of the two. Both did illegal acts on there own personal property and profited from it big time!
I'm that guy you hit it right on the head. Brynteson banked roll this event such as Vick did with the dogs. That's what his charges state. It's kinda of funny of they pick and choose their battles. Where's PETA at now.
I really don't see the connection between the Vick case and this one. None of these animals were ever tortured or mistreated. They are farm animals that were slaughtered just like the ones at Mickey D's
If you read the story it tells you that Mr Brynteson is losing his butt on these animals because of false promises. I would hardly call that bank rolling. I knew a lot of people several years back that got duped into the emu farming business with the promises of that industry booming and making a killing. A personal friend of mine ended up giving away almost 500 birds because there was nothing to do with them. The feed bill alone was causing him to go bankrupt. Also the farmer he gave them too lost everything. The guy was retired from GP and lost everything he had and had to go back to work. It sounds like a victimless crime to me. If nobody gets hurt then why is it against the law?
The laws were there. He knew what he was getting into. Now he's crying "poor me" because he can't sell his product. It is similar to the emu fad. Did you know a lot of the gypsies raised emus and then when it fell apart, just turned them loose? There was one that got loose in NA and kicked the crap out of the animal control officer. The police were hoping it would go onto I-20 and get hit by a truck. When you start a business, there is no guarantee that there are going to be buyers for your product, so you have to research it carefully.
"This brings up a big question. What are we supposed to do with these deer if we cannot sell them?" ---Ever heard of just opening the gate and looking the other way?
ripjones I agree with you.Vick and his dogs were nothing like this.And milton you were also right .I think a bullet is better than the way the meat market kills your dinner.The man had a large farm the deers were lose they were not in a pen are held by a chain like the dogs were.Must be a white mans farm .you know you have to obey the laws time is against you.
Let me see how much time he gets for killing poor bambi. Deer did not stand a chance.
ya like the cows,pork or chicken you ate for dinner they were raised for the meat not some petting zoo
I have determined that liberals do not have the ability to reason, but the ability to rationalize false hopes.
The government is out of control, where does their right to do this come from?
This is not a liberal or conservative issue.
Mr. Brynteson knew the law when he willingly made the decision to enter the deer farming business, which is to raise non-native deer in a farm setting for the commercial production of meat and fiber. Farmed deer must be slaughtered in a USDA approved facility for human consumption. He knew the law prohibited the use of these deer in a canned hunt in Georgia.
I am not aware of any marketing efforts by him to sell meat products to any restaraunts or meat markets in Georgia. I doubt he even had a business plan.
I am aware of several efforts by Mr. Brynteson to lobby the legislature to allow the use of these deer in canned hunts in Georgia. Those efforts were also opposed by a majority of citizens. It has repeatedly been voted down by the legislature.
He could have sold his stock to buyers and at wild animal auctions out of state. He chose not to and instead opted to knowingly and willingly violate the law. He got caught and must sleep in the bed he made. Laws do not prohibit anyone from doing abything they choose to do, but does hold those who violate the laws responsible for their unlawful actions.
When someone can walk up to within 10 yards of one of these animal while it is standing under a feeder and shoot it is not hunting. These farm raised animals have no fear of humans.
These animals are raised on a 300 acre farm pasture where they depend on a person to feed them and provide them water. They become habituated to humans and lose their fear of humans.
Then being "well-trained" are moved into another enclosure where they are sold to another person in a staged hunting scenario. That person then "stalks" (i.e., walks) up to them, usually as they are feeding from a feed trough or under a feeder and shoots the fearless animal. This is not hunting. It is more like shooting animals in a zoo.
You'll comment til the cows come home about some investor trying to make a buck. But you wont even read about an environmental issue that threatens your very lives...Rubes every one! If these are "canned" hunts, then what are the Pheasant and Qail hunts carried out at Ft. Gordon every year? The DNR has too little money and too much time on its Idle hands....BTW, thw Cougars are NATIVE to Florida and the South Georgia Swamp.
Sounds to me like the proposals listed by Mr. Brynteson are the most workable for Hoofbeat Plantation and the common good of the state overall. From what I have read in the media Mr. Brynteson has been fined by the DNR for a mere interpitation question in regards to convoluted regulations involving his livestock of some 1000 or so non native deers which now risk confiscation by the state, harvested and distributed to some social program without restitution to the legal owners. As I further understand it after he entered into this business activity and thru various reasons beyond his control the marketplace in which he intended to reap the return on his investment changed significantly, thus leaving him no other workable choice other than to dispose of the inventory to recover his losses other than the avenue attempted. I have difficulty understanding why these animals raised for slaughter in a farm setting in would be under the control and jurisdiction of an agency primarily tasked with the regulation of sport hunting and fishing of wild game and not under the department of Agriculture as the farm animals which in reality they are by definition and intended use.
Well, friend, you've got to fish or cut bait. Mr. Brynteson needs to be regulated by either the Agriculture Dept. or by DNR. If he does not send the animals to slaughter for food when they reach the optimum size, then he's not operating a farm. Sounds like a speculative business gone bust.