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By Chris Lawrence
GASSAWAY â A Gilmer County man is free on bond after members of the Natural Resources Police charged him with more than 50 counts stemming from illegal turkey hunting.
Clifford Fisher, 65, was arrested by officers on April 4, 2015 following a lengthy investigation. Evidence collected in the course of the case revealed Fisher had long ignored West Virginia game laws for turkey hunting.
"I think the longer it went on he stated he'd never been arrested before," said Natural Resources Police Sergeant Dwayne Duffield. "I could just tell he knew he'd been doing that for years and he got by with it."
The case began with several tips from the public about an illegal hunting site in a remote part of Gilmer County off the Gassaway Road near the Braxton County line. Officer Caleb Harper followed up and managed to locate the bait site in March.
"Harper and some other officers had done some recon and found a baited turkey blind," said Duffield. "It was a homemade type blind. It was suspected he had already killed one and possibly two turkeys from the blind based on evidence they collected that day."
The officers found fresh turkey feathers at the site of the blind and later on the same property near a hunting cabin found a 55 gallon drum filled with feathers. Back at the blind officers also found a bucket of corn in the blind and corn scattered around the perimeter of the blind.
Harper decided to stake out the location in hopes of catching the suspect in the act. He enlisted the assistance of Natural Resources Police Officer Stevens out of Calhoun County, Officer Fitzwater out of Doddridge County, Officer Phillips out of Ritchie County, and Officer Wilson out of Roane County. During the course of several weeks one or more of the officers kept watch on the blind often starting their stake out as early as 3 a.m. ...
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