Judge jails moose poacher

SANDPOINT — A Sagle man who admitted to poaching a bull moose was sentenced last month to four months in jail with work release.

District Judge Steve Verby gave Allen Ray Merritt Jr. a suspended prison sentence of 1-3 years and imposed a $1,500 civil fine. Merritt was also placed on probation for three years and ordered to complete 300 hours of community service.

"I regret every day what I did," Merritt told the court when he was sentenced on March 19.

Merritt admitted shooting the bull on Nov. 12, 2006, with a 12-gauge shotgun.

SeMerritt was also charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm due to a felony burglary conviction in Washington state, but it was dropped in exchange for pleading guilty to the felony hunting violation.

Merritt said he killed the moose to provide food for his family, according to court records.

Moose hunting in Idaho is tightly regulated with controlled hunts. Drawings are held for the limited number of permits, and the coveted tags cost five and six times more than tags for other big game.

A moose poaching conviction is punishable by up to five years in prison and $50,000 in criminal fines. There are also costly civil penalties.