OMAHA – A Missouri man has been fined $25,000 and ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution for hunting illegally in Nebraska.
Federal prosecutors say 57-year-old Rodney Owen, of Blue Springs, Missouri, also was sentenced Friday in Omaha to serve five years of probation for trafficking wildlife in violation of federal law.
Authorities say Owen traveled to Broken Bow in the fall of 2015, 2016 and 2017 and conducted illegal hunting activities. Owen and employees of Hidden Hills Outfitters went on hunts that killed deer near bait locations — violations of Nebraska law. Prosecutors say the wildlife illegally killed by Owen in Nebraska subsequently was taken to Missouri.
A spokesman for Hidden Hills didn’t immediately return a message Monday from The Associated Press.
Authorities say Owen submitted hunt videos to Drury Outdoors, the video production company behind the “Dream Season” outdoors series.
