FREEBURG, Ill. — Eight people including Freeburg, Illinois' mayor and an ex-Cardinals pitcher are involved in an Illinois poaching investigation.
Seth Speiser, 58, mayor of Freeburg, Danny Cox, 63, ex-Cardinals pitcher and six others received citations from the Illinois Conservation Police.
On Nov. 18, the Illinois Conservation Police went to two adjacent properties, one on Illinois Route 15, owned by Speiser and the second on Buch Ridge Road, owned by Cox.
Three days prior, Illinois State Police airplanes conducted aerial surveillance and reported possible illegal baiting at those properties.
Officers made contact with Speiser and two other men, on the Illinois Route 15 property and found illegal bait for deer.
Mitchell Speiser, 25, and Biran Forrester, 34, were on the property.
The Illinois Conservation Police gave citations and warnings for each individual:
Seth Speiser, 58, of Freeburg
- Citations:
- Placement of bait (corn) for deer
- Firearm deer-hunting with aid of bait
- Unlawful take of white-tailed deer
- Unlawful take of white-tailed deer
- Seth Speiser, 58, of Freeburg
- Warnings:
• Failure to wear blaze-orange hat and vest
• Transporting uncased shotguns
• Hunting without deer permits in possession
Mitchell Speiser, 25, of Freeburg
- Citations:
• Failure to wear blaze-orange hat and vest
• Unlawful take of white-tailed deer - Warnings:
• Transporting uncased shotguns
• Hunting without deer permits in possession
• Falsification when obtaining landowner hunting permits
• Firearm deer hunting without valid permit
Biran Forrester, 34
- Citations:
• Failure to wear blaze-orange hat and vest
• Firearm deer-hunting with aid of bait - Warnings:
• Transporting uncased shotguns
• Hunting or taking deer with aid of bait
• Unlawful take of white-tailed deer
Officials also investigated Cox's property for illegal baiting. Five individuals including Danny Cox received citations and warnings.
Danny Cox, 63, of Freeburg
- Citations:
• Failure to wear blaze-orange hat and vest
• Placement of bait for deer
• Firearm deer-hunting with aid of bait
• Take of 8-point buck with aid of bait
• Take of 10-point buck with aid of bait
• Use of archery deer permit issued to other - Warnings:
• Use of archery deer permit issued to other
• Use of archery deer permit issued to other
• Unlawful possession of road sign
Kamdan Cox, 27, of Clarksville, Tennessee
- Citations:
• Unlawful take of wild turkey
• Turkey hunting without valid permit
• Failure to report turkey harvest properly
• Unlawful take of 5-point buck
• Archery deer-hunting without valid permit
• Archery deer-hunting with aid of bait
• Falsifying harvest report for 5-point buck - Warnings:
• Turkey hunting with aid of bait
• Failure to tag turkey immediately upon kill
• Possession of another person's archery deer permit
• Failure to tag 5-point buck upon kill
• Unlawful placement of waterfowl bait
Kyle Cox, 32, of Belleville
- Citations:
• Firearm deer-hunting without valid permit
• Firearm deer-hunting without habitat stamp
• Providing false information to obtain permits - Warning:
• Firearm deer-hunting without license
Steve Pate, 62, of Marietta, Georgia
- Citations:
• Firearm deer-hunting with aid of bait
• Archery deer-hunting without valid permit
• Unlawful take of 7-point buck (archery)
• Failure to tag deer immediately upon kill - Warnings:
• Firearm deer-hunting without license or stamp in possession
• Providing false or deceptive information to police
Barry Northenor, 63, Roswell, Georgia
- Citation:
• Failure to wear blaze-orange hat and vest
Warning:
• Firearm deer-hunting with aid of bait
No court date has been announced at this time.
