Judge Orders Convicted Poacher to Make Movie About Bears

by
posted on April 16, 2013
wilder_ah2015_fs.jpg (9)

undefinedWe certainly live in an era of occasionally... creative... sentencing procedures, and according to a report from WPTZ, a Vermont judge didn't miss an opportunity to hit a poacher with an innovative punishment earlier this month.

43-year-old Carl Sanborn pleaded no contest to four hunting violations, along with one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and put himself at the mercy of the court. Caledonia Superior Court Judge Mary Miles Teachout first sentenced Sanborn to 59 days on a work crew—then she threw in the twist ending. Sanborn would also be required to produce a 30-minute film about bears in Vermont.

USA Today Reported that Sanborn has to submit the film by June 1. The film's not allowed to contain any mention of law enforcement or the illegal practice of bear baiting (which is what got Sanborn in trouble to begin with). Good call, there—you want him to learn something, and he already knows all about baiting bears... and what it's like to get arrested for it.

Well done, your Honor, well done.

No honest hunter likes a poacher, least of all one that's helping create a whole new generation of law-breakers, like Sanborn did when he encouraged his 13-year-old hunting companion to fire at the bear he'd baited in. We also know that a lot of poachers aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, and it's not unlike them to go right back out and poach again. Credit the Judge with leveling a sentence that's a break from the norm—and may just have a chance at actually getting through to Sanborn. The only downer is that he probably won't be able to afford Morgan Freeman as narrator.

Excellent wording, too, on the sentence. Without the "in Vermont" tag, a cheeky poacher may have put together a 30-minute film about Yogi and Boo-Boo. Thankfully, I'm pretty sure they still call Jellystone home.

Hey, even if he learns nothing, I'm sure he'll think twice before baiting another bear. Won't want to have to make a sequel. Nobody likes sequels.

Latest

Squirrel On Tree
Squirrel On Tree

Why Squirrel Hunting is Better Suppressed

With the purchasing process now easier than ever, hunting with a suppressed firearm is becoming more commonplace. Adjust your tactics accordingly.

#SundayGunday: Savage Model 110 Tactical

This week on #SundayGunday, we’re checking out the Model 110 Tactical from Savage Arms. A magazine-fed variant of Savage’s classic Model 110, the 110 Tactical is the perfect bolt gun for when you need to get a number of shots on target in a hurry.

Auto-Ordnance Commemorative Rifle and Pistol Duo Honors the Army's 250th Anniversary

Auto-Ordnance, in partnership with the artisans at Altered Arsenal, have announced the release of two commemorative firearms in a series called "A Salute to Service," created to honor the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the Army on June 14, 1775.

Conservation Group Launches Fundraiser Following Brutal Rhino Poaching

At the end of April, poachers broke into the Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy in Zimbabwe in search of rhinoceros horn—an incredibly valuable commodity on the international market. The poachers brutally shot and killed a tame 22-year-old black rhino male called Gomo and, with axe in tow, massacred its head and face and seized its horns.

Maine Game Warden and Working Canine Locate Missing Toddler

Our license fees, tag purchases and conservation stamp funds pay most of the bills for managing wildlife and enforcing regulations. In some cases, it also locates lost toddlers and saves innocent lives.

New for 2025: Proof Research Tundra Ti X

The lightweight precision rifle for long-range hunters blends tactical adjustability with a classic Monte-Carlo design and cutting-edge titanium action.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.