Billy Buspice, co-host of the reality-TV show “Wildgame Nation”
and star of A&E’s upcoming series “Country Buck$,”
had his hunting and fishing privileges revoked this week until 2019 by
a Louisiana Circuit Court judge as part of his sentencing for charges
of allowing an anterless elk to go to waste and hunting without a license.
Buspice will also be placed on supervised probation for a year-and-a-half
and pay $23,000 in fines and restitution.
On October 16 of last year, hunters witnessed an individual filming a man
on Buspice’s property shooting a calf and a bull elk. According
to the hunters, the men examined the two carcasses, which were approximately
sixty yards apart, and then departed without them. A man later returned
to retrieve the bull elk, the hunters said, but left the calf carcass
in the field.
The shooter was Buspice, who eventually stated that he had accidentally
hit the calf while aiming for the elk. He also admitted to later instructing
two individuals to hide the abandoned carcass in a drainage ditch.
The charges are not Buspice’s first. He received a citation earlier
in 2016 for purchasing a resident elk license as a non-resident, and he’s
also been cited for purchasing deer licensees beyond the authorized number
permitted. In addition, Busbice is being sued in civil court by a hunter
who was arrested in 2013 for killing a deer on Busbice’s property
without permission.
As a result of the charges, Buspice is now banned from hunting in at least
forty-five states until 2019, including his home state of Louisiana. Furthermore,
violating his probation terms by hunting without a license could result
in an additional six months of jail time.
Many hunters remain unaware that a license suspension or revocation in
one state can transfer to nearly all of them. In addition, it can be difficult
to remain up-to-date on changes in local, state, and federal hunting and
fishing regulations each year – which means that many of the 15.4
million license holders nationwide may be unintentionally violating any
number of laws.
If you’re planning a hunting or fishing trip – or if you’ve
received a citation or been charged with a violation – knowing what
your rights are can be crucial in keeping your license and privileges.
Our office can help you ensure that you’re enjoying the outdoors
– and that you’re doing so in full compliance with the law.
Charles Feldmann a life long outdoorsmen, leads the firm’s wildlife
practice group.
Contact him at
WildlifeAttorneys.com for a free consultation regarding your wildlife legal matter.