The charges stacked up quickly for one Michigan man that admits he’s not the most ethical hunter. Scott Meisterheim, 55, of Kalamazoo, was under investigation by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources since February of 2022, following tips received through the state’s poaching hotline.
Interviews conducted by Kalamazoo County Conservation Officer, James Nason, were conducted with witnesses regarding Meisterheim’s hunting activities as the research began to unfold.
Following interviews, Nason reported that Meisterheim took at least 11 deer between October 1 and December 24, 2021. Meisterheim was hunting without a license, both day and night, used illegal bait, and was tagging deer with tags obtained from other people.
Taking a closer look at the case, Meisterheim will face charges of taking whitetail deer outside of lawful hunting hours, two counts of hunting whitetail deer without a license, two counts of using the deer hunting license of another person, two counts of taking an over-limit of antlered whitetail deer, and three counts of transporting/possessing untagged antlered whitetail deer.
“This is an excellent investigation of a poacher who shows no respect for the resource or the ethics of fair chase,” DNR Law Enforcement Division Chief Dave Shaw said. “Violations of this type deprive law-abiding people of their opportunity to have access to and enjoy a public trust natural resource, in this case, white-tailed deer.”
According to a Detroit news source, Nason interviewed Meisterheim at the Kalamazoo County Jail, where Meisterheim was being held on suspicion of domestic abuse. It was there that Meisterheim shared his true thoughts on killing deer.
“Sure, I love to kill deer,” Meisterheim said. “If I could kill more, I would, to be honest with you.”
He then shared with Nason that he, “is not the most ethical hunter, tagging other people’s deer. But I don’t care, I am addicted to the venison.”
Ironically, despite his claim of, “venison addiction,” Meisterheim was found to have let a number of deer spoil to the point of being rejected by meat processors in his early season poaching efforts.
Meisterheim will be headed back to court later this month as the case continues to unfold. Meanwhile, he’s currently serving 18-months of probation for aggravated domestic assault in Kalamazoo County.
