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Van Buren man being investigated for allegedly setting illegal traps
By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH ~ Associate Editor
VAN BUREN -- Convicted in what was described as the largest poaching case in Missouri history, a Van Buren man may face new charges after he was caught allegedly setting illegal traps earlier this month.
John Partney, 53, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to Conservation Agent Mark Wilcoxon.
The investigation began Feb. 7 when Wilcoxon found and followed tracks in the snow off of Highway 60 near Cave Springs, about 2 1/2 miles west of Van Buren.
"I found some illegal snares set on dry land," Wilcoxon explained. "Somebody had built a pen out of woven wire fence, about eight-foot tall and approximately 15 by 15 foot wide.
"They had (cut) some openings in (the fence) and placed snares in the openings. Then, there was a dead deer thrown inside, with some more traps set in the fence."
Not wanting to leave his footprints in the snow, Wilcoxon said, he didn't go back near the pen, which was located on private property owned by someone from out of state.
On Feb. 14, Wilcoxon and his supervisor, Kevin Patterson, set up a surveillance camera at the site.
"For five days in a row we videotaped John (Partney) checking the snares and taking things (a coyote and raccoon) out of the snares," Wilcoxon said.
On Feb. 19, Wilcoxon and Conservation Agent Ryan Houf went to the location. At about 2:15 p.m. Partney and another individual reportedly arrived.
"When he was contacted, he had a video camera and a 35 mm camera, which we seized and a bobcat," Wilcoxon said. "He had caught the bobcat that day."
Bobcat trapping season closed on Jan. 20.
Partney, according to Wilcoxon, was arrested at the scene and told of his Miranda rights. He was subsequently taken to the Carter County Sheriff's Department where he was interviewed and later released after receiving several written citations for Missouri Wildlife Code violations.
Based on the surveillance video, citations were also issued to a second individual.
At this time, those citations have not been filed in court against either man, Wilcoxon said. Federal prosecution of this case may also be possible, he said.
Wilcoxon said he had earlier spoken with National Park Service Ranger Martin Towery about where "I thought some other traps were located."
After Partney's arrest, Towery, as well as conservation agents from Ripley County and the surrounding area, went to those locations where they found additional illegal traps, Wilcoxon said.
"There were actually six more of these great big traps at two more sites," one of which was on U.S. Forest Service land, Wilcoxon explained. "These sets turned out to be baited with deer wired to a tree. One was also baited with snow geese hanging from a tree."
Wilcoxon described these traps as being for large wolves and cougars. "That's the way they were listed in the trappers' supply catalog," he said.
According to Wilcoxon, the traps at one of the sites had nails welded into them to make teeth, "like the old bear traps that have been outlawed for years."
Wilcoxon said Partney gave officers permission to develop the film in his 35 mm camera and to view the videotape.
"He had still photos of the bobcat still in the trap, then the video camera contained another bobcat from the other site with big traps," Wilcoxon explained.
At this time, Wilcoxon said, he doesn't know what Partney's alleged motivation was for setting the traps. "The rumor around town is that he was trying to catch a mountain lion, but I can't prove that," he said.
Wilcoxon said he receives a lot of reports about mountain lions in Carter County, but he has never seen one. "I can't say if we've got them or not," he said.
Partney, along with his then 22-year-old son, Andy, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally killing a bighorn sheep in Glacier National Park and an elk in Yellowstone National Park in August 1996.
At that time, Partney, a licensed firearms dealer, also pleaded guilty to a variety of other federal violations. They included selling ammunition to boys under the age of 18 and attempting to hide a number of items from law enforcement officers, including ram horns, guns and two diaries describing his hunts.
As part of their plea, the Partneys agreed to never hunt in Missouri and to turn over all the mounted wildlife, diaries and pictures seized during the federal investigation.
Subsequently, the Missouri Conservation Commission reportedly revoked, suspended and denied Partney's hunting privileges for life.
In January 1997, Partney was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine. His son was sentenced to six months of community confinement and fined $5,500.
In Carter County, Partney and his son pleaded guilty to a total of 40 misdemeanor game violations in September 1996.
Partney pleaded guilty to 25 misdemeanor charges and was fined the maximum $500 on each count, for a total fine of $12,500. The charges included taking deer in closed season, taking deer in a wildlife refuge, taking a coyote by illegal methods, going over the legal limit of deer and possession of turkey in closed season.
The younger Partney pleaded guilty to 15 misdemeanor charges and was fined the maximum on each count for a total of $7,500. The charges included killing deer in closed season and killing deer on a federal wildlife refuge.
In addition to paying the fines, the Partneys donated 24 rifles, shotguns and pistols to the Carter County Crime Reduction Fund. The firearms were later sold at public auction.
In 2002, Partney was convicted of spotlighting wildlife and hunting while his hunting privileges were revoked in Carter County. He was fined $300 on each charge, for total fine of $600.
Subsequently, the Missouri Conservation Commission reportedly revoked, suspended and denied Partney's fishing and trapping privileges for life not only in Missouri, but also in all member states of the Wildlife Violators' Compact. That organization currently includes 17 member states.
By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH ~ Associate Editor
VAN BUREN -- Convicted in what was described as the largest poaching case in Missouri history, a Van Buren man may face new charges after he was caught allegedly setting illegal traps earlier this month.
John Partney, 53, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to Conservation Agent Mark Wilcoxon.
The investigation began Feb. 7 when Wilcoxon found and followed tracks in the snow off of Highway 60 near Cave Springs, about 2 1/2 miles west of Van Buren.
"I found some illegal snares set on dry land," Wilcoxon explained. "Somebody had built a pen out of woven wire fence, about eight-foot tall and approximately 15 by 15 foot wide.
"They had (cut) some openings in (the fence) and placed snares in the openings. Then, there was a dead deer thrown inside, with some more traps set in the fence."
Not wanting to leave his footprints in the snow, Wilcoxon said, he didn't go back near the pen, which was located on private property owned by someone from out of state.
On Feb. 14, Wilcoxon and his supervisor, Kevin Patterson, set up a surveillance camera at the site.
"For five days in a row we videotaped John (Partney) checking the snares and taking things (a coyote and raccoon) out of the snares," Wilcoxon said.
On Feb. 19, Wilcoxon and Conservation Agent Ryan Houf went to the location. At about 2:15 p.m. Partney and another individual reportedly arrived.
"When he was contacted, he had a video camera and a 35 mm camera, which we seized and a bobcat," Wilcoxon said. "He had caught the bobcat that day."
Bobcat trapping season closed on Jan. 20.
Partney, according to Wilcoxon, was arrested at the scene and told of his Miranda rights. He was subsequently taken to the Carter County Sheriff's Department where he was interviewed and later released after receiving several written citations for Missouri Wildlife Code violations.
Based on the surveillance video, citations were also issued to a second individual.
At this time, those citations have not been filed in court against either man, Wilcoxon said. Federal prosecution of this case may also be possible, he said.
Wilcoxon said he had earlier spoken with National Park Service Ranger Martin Towery about where "I thought some other traps were located."
After Partney's arrest, Towery, as well as conservation agents from Ripley County and the surrounding area, went to those locations where they found additional illegal traps, Wilcoxon said.
"There were actually six more of these great big traps at two more sites," one of which was on U.S. Forest Service land, Wilcoxon explained. "These sets turned out to be baited with deer wired to a tree. One was also baited with snow geese hanging from a tree."
Wilcoxon described these traps as being for large wolves and cougars. "That's the way they were listed in the trappers' supply catalog," he said.
According to Wilcoxon, the traps at one of the sites had nails welded into them to make teeth, "like the old bear traps that have been outlawed for years."
Wilcoxon said Partney gave officers permission to develop the film in his 35 mm camera and to view the videotape.
"He had still photos of the bobcat still in the trap, then the video camera contained another bobcat from the other site with big traps," Wilcoxon explained.
At this time, Wilcoxon said, he doesn't know what Partney's alleged motivation was for setting the traps. "The rumor around town is that he was trying to catch a mountain lion, but I can't prove that," he said.
Wilcoxon said he receives a lot of reports about mountain lions in Carter County, but he has never seen one. "I can't say if we've got them or not," he said.
Partney, along with his then 22-year-old son, Andy, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally killing a bighorn sheep in Glacier National Park and an elk in Yellowstone National Park in August 1996.
At that time, Partney, a licensed firearms dealer, also pleaded guilty to a variety of other federal violations. They included selling ammunition to boys under the age of 18 and attempting to hide a number of items from law enforcement officers, including ram horns, guns and two diaries describing his hunts.
As part of their plea, the Partneys agreed to never hunt in Missouri and to turn over all the mounted wildlife, diaries and pictures seized during the federal investigation.
Subsequently, the Missouri Conservation Commission reportedly revoked, suspended and denied Partney's hunting privileges for life.
In January 1997, Partney was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine. His son was sentenced to six months of community confinement and fined $5,500.
In Carter County, Partney and his son pleaded guilty to a total of 40 misdemeanor game violations in September 1996.
Partney pleaded guilty to 25 misdemeanor charges and was fined the maximum $500 on each count, for a total fine of $12,500. The charges included taking deer in closed season, taking deer in a wildlife refuge, taking a coyote by illegal methods, going over the legal limit of deer and possession of turkey in closed season.
The younger Partney pleaded guilty to 15 misdemeanor charges and was fined the maximum on each count for a total of $7,500. The charges included killing deer in closed season and killing deer on a federal wildlife refuge.
In addition to paying the fines, the Partneys donated 24 rifles, shotguns and pistols to the Carter County Crime Reduction Fund. The firearms were later sold at public auction.
In 2002, Partney was convicted of spotlighting wildlife and hunting while his hunting privileges were revoked in Carter County. He was fined $300 on each charge, for total fine of $600.
Subsequently, the Missouri Conservation Commission reportedly revoked, suspended and denied Partney's fishing and trapping privileges for life not only in Missouri, but also in all member states of the Wildlife Violators' Compact. That organization currently includes 17 member states.
