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I must be mis-informed,but was under the impression you have a right to face your accuser in court.

Kirkland said names of citizens who report wildlife offenders can be kept anonymous and informants may be eligible for a rew

The accusers didn't cause the arrest!! It was the killing of a Bear, in front of an FWC officer that got him arrested

No accusers no arrest.
My point is: if someone accuses me of something illegal they had better have their ass in court with me.

Someone accusses you of something and you are caught red handed doing it, you aint got the right to know anything "other than yer a DA"

What a shame. Gene put me onto the local Tarpon fishing scene many years ago. In those early years we were often the only 2 boats fishing. Times have changed and in Gene's case certainly not for the better.

I have not kept up with the case, but my question is, Why did he kill them. To me, there is a big difference between killing for money for pelts and killing them if they were destroying property.

Dubble

Is it called baiting because of the fish hooks?

Im not to sure of why this was posted in the nature it was. The article was written because 3 men in Eastpoint were just caught for killing a bear earlier this week. For some reason this thread is focused on Gene?

Why has this come back up now? As mentioned in the article, this happened back in Oct. of 2010. Yep, Gene messed up killing the bears, but you have to forgive him and move on some time.

I am pretty sure Gene has since moved to South Fl. to be nearer to his grandkids.

- Steve Stinson

The article was dated January 25, 2012. That would seem to be a current topic of conversation.

Unless I am mistaken you cannot hold yourself out as a professional fishing guide with no fishing licence and a felony conviction.

rockyg wrote:The article was dated January 25, 2012. That would seem to be a current topic of conversation.

Unless I am mistaken you cannot hold yourself out as a professional fishing guide with no fishing licence and a felony conviction.

Can't say I will miss Gene's big ass boat out there for tarpon...

I don't know this guy at all. But if he was a guide then he knew the repurcusions of his actions...weighed them.....and chose to blantently break the law.

To answer JT ~ the anon. Citizens are not the accusers in this situation. They are informants.

The accuser would be the state of florida, the district attorney and the florida game and fish commision... based on the eyewitness account of the fwc officer who...if you wanted to put a face to it...would be the actual "accuser" as he is the one that filed the charges.

Dear Ron:
1. Know all the facts before attempting to ruin someone's livelihood. The judge had all the facts and didn't judge Gene so harshly and so, why should you!?
2. Gene did not "blatantly break the law". He made a mistake in judgement which he and his family have fretted over and paid for tenfold during the past year.
3. FYI... Gene managed a hunt lease and the hooks were placed as a deterrent to keep the bears from destroying the corn feeders (known by all the deer hunters in the lease, folks), which they had done many times before and costing much in repairs and replacement.
4. The judge did NOT, repeat NOT, convict Gene of a felony and Gene did NOT, repeat NOT, lose his Captain's or fishing license.
5. Bears have been removed from the "threatened species" list in the State of Florida for good reason and, most likely, will soon be legally hunted in Florida as they are in other states.
5. Gene has/is paying his dues to society and this thing is over as it should be. Let us be.
6. To Rocky (if you are the Rocky that I know), please come and talk with me about the ex-FWC officer/informant that we (it is a small community) have overheard bragging that he has slayed many black bears on this same hunting lease. He is now banned from the lease and he is a true criminal here and yet has somehow escaped capture.

Thank you for not posting any more gossip, hearsay and name-bashing remarks.

Rita J. Strickland

Bears are nothing but a nuisance on St.James Island.
Gene Strickland is a helluva fishing guide.
The only problem I have with him is he likes to fish those green backs for bait.