Illinois conservation police cite three hunters with poaching deer, turkey and bobcat

Three southern Illinoisans face criminal charges and citations for poaching deer, bobcat and turkey on private land this year, according to Illinois Conservation Police.

Conservation police cited Greg Cottom of Pinckneyville and Sally Albers of Breese. Citations and criminal trespassing charges for a third person were pending in the Perry County state’s attorney’s office as of Tuesday afternoon. The Belleville News-Democrat does not name suspects before charges are filed.

The conservation police investigation began in January after they received a complaint in Perry County about a large white-tailed buck that had potentially been poached. Officers said Albers had harvested the buck without a hunting license or habitat stamp as required by law. Following interviews and after they received other evidence, police said another person had helped Albers take the buck.

In Perry County, Albers was cited with two counts of unlawful hunting without the consent of landowner; unlawful hunting without a hunting license; and unlawful take or possession of deer. In Jackson County, Albers was cited with two counts of hunting without the consent of a landowner.

Cottom was cited in Jackson County with failure to register a bobcat harvest; unlawful possession of a bobcat pelt not tagged per federal regulations; unlawful possession of an unlawfully taken bobcat; and unlawful take of a bobcat without a valid permit.

The cases will be heard in the Jackson and Perry counties’ circuit courts, with initial hearings scheduled for January and February. Defense attorneys for the individuals had not been entered into court record as of Tuesday afternoon.

This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 3:01 PM.