Sent 18 October 2001
POWELL, Wyo. (AP) – Two men convicted of poaching two trophy big horn rams have been fined and sentenced to a year in jail and probation.
Gary Vorhies, 39, and Cody Cannady, 33, both of Greybull, were convicted in June on two counts each of wanton destruction of wildlife and two counts each of hunting without a license.
They shot the rams along the North Fork River on Dec. 24.
Friday, Park County Attorney Kelly Rankin called Vorhies a "serial poacher" and "thrill-seeker."
Besides the year in jail for hunting without a license, Circuit Judge Bruce Waters sentenced Vorhies to a year of electronic monitoring for the second charge of hunting without a license.
He was also fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution for each ram killed.
For the wanton destruction, Vorhies was sentenced to a year in jail with time suspended if he completes two years probation and pays a $1,000 fine for each count.
The terms of Vorhies' probation are many. He may not kill any wildlife, accompany anyone who is hunting, receive or possess any fresh animal parts except as a gift and may not possess firearms, archery equipment or any other hunting gear.
Also, he must submit to random searches, have no contact with Wyoming Game and Fish warden Craig Sax and continue counseling. He is banned from anywhere hunting equipment is stored or maintained and from federal and state lands.
He lost his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for 50 years.
Cannady was sentenced to a year in jail with weekday work release. A second year in jail was suspended if he completes two years probation with terms similar to Vorhies' probation.
His fine was $10,000 for illegal hunting plus $2,000 for wanton destruction of wildlife. He was ordered to pay $15,000 restitution for one of the rams and his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges are suspended for 10 years.
Rankin said the men are to begin their sentences Nov. 12 unless their attorneys file appeals.