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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Officials with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game say they have imposed a lifetime hunting ban for a Nampa man found guilty of poaching a bighorn ram.
The Idaho Statesman (http://bit.ly/1UJf8ei ) reports that conservation officers cited 53-year-old Paul Cortez in November.
According to the agency, officers approached Cortez via jet boat and saw that his arms and hands were covered in blood. Cortez then told the officers that he had shot the ram from his hunting camp and then stashed the animal's carcass in nearby rocks.
Cortez was cited for poaching, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The drug charges were eventually dismissed as part of a plea deal. However, Judge Gregory FitzMaurice sentenced Cortez earlier this month to 30 days in jail and four years of probation. Cortez will also have to pay a $10,000 civil penalty.
Bighorn ram hunting is tightly regulated in Idaho because of their low population numbers.
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Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com
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