The Bobcat Trapper and the GPS Tracker: Was the Hunter Hunted?
NORTH OGDEN, UT – A 41-year-old North Ogden, Utah man feels he is being unfairly punished for just trying to make a living killing bobcats.
Unfortunately, the hunter was the one who was nabbed and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) sees things quite differently.
Jared Beal, a veteran bobcat trapper, is in court, facing multiple counts of “wanton destruction of protected wildlife” for well-exceeding the bag limit during bobcat season in 2007-2008. Wildlife officials obtained a warrant to place a GPS tracking device on Beal’s truck. It followed him around and recorded as the hunter set and checked more than 35 trap sites in three of the state’s counties: Weber, Box Elder and Tooele. The GPS tracking record, showing the days and location of his vehicle’s every stop, was admitted into court as evidence in his trial.
After removing the vehicle tracking device and examining the data, investigators convinced a judge to issue another warrant to search Beal’s home. Thirty-one bobcat pelts were found in the house. UDWR’s limit last bobcat harvest was six animals.
Unable to dispute the proof of excessive hunting, Beal’s lawyers are arguing that placing the GPS tracking device on his truck, and searching his house, were illegal. Motions were filed to suppress the warrants. Beal’s lawyer did not argue that police illegally installed the GPS tracking device when his truck was parked on his private driveway. But he said authorities crossed a fine line into invasion of privacy when the GPS tracking unit followed Beal into his garage and the safety of his home.
The defendant’s legal counsel thinks people have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their homes. The defense, meanwhile noted that the vehicle tracking unit did not “follow Mr. Beal about the house,” nor confirm that he was there, but merely recorded that his truck was inside the house.
The bench trial was expected to continue at least one more day.
Bobcat season runs from mid-November through the first week in February. According to the UDWR, about 1,500 bobcats are trapped and killed in Utah annually. Their pelts can fetch $300, with highly-prized specimens going for up to $1,200.
Utah enacted its bobcat management law because of an increasing demand for the animal’s pelts, especially internationally. China is a leading exporter.
Tags: Bobcat Killing, GPS Tracking, wildlife
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July 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Thank you for printing this story- people who blatantly ignore conservation laws should be punished to the full extent.