Man pleads in poaching case

BONNERS FERRY — On Wednesday, Dennis ‘Butch’ Liermann Jr. of Naples pled guilty to two counts of possesson a bull elk out of season and lost his hunting privileges for five years.

As n the plea agreement, Liermann, 32, had the charges reduced from felony to two misdemeanor counts of possession of a bull elk out of season. He will serve two days in Boundary County Jail and must pay $3,495 in fines, restitution and court costs. He must also serve two years of unsupervised probation.

Liermann and  Roland Hall, 56,  of Bonners Ferry were charged with with posession of two bull elk on Sept. 5.

On Wednesday, Hall waived his preliminary hearing and will have an arraignment hearing in Dec.

In the plea deal, Liermann is not permitted to hunt for the five years but can accompany others hunting and carry a hand gun for protection.

On the evening of Sept. 5, Idaho Fish and Game received a cell phone call from a concerned individual in the woods in the Trapper Creek drainage north of Priest Lake. The caller and his hunting partner had just watched a man shoot and kill a bull elk with a bow from a tree stand and still had them in sight.

The archery elk season in the area didn’t open until Sept. 6.

As Idaho Fish & Game conservation officer Rob Soumas and Rick Bogar responded to the scene, authorities said another call was received reporting that another bull elk had just been shot and killed within their view.