Lucas Pagel of Fargo has paid a fine for unlawfully taking a bull elk within Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon.
Pagel and his father, Randy Pagel, hunted elk outside the west boundary of the park's South Unit, north of Medora, on Sept. 6, the release stated. Lucas Pagel had an either-sex elk license for North Dakota Elk Management Unit E3.
According to the release:
An investigation by the National Park Service, state Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documented that Lucas Pagel saw a bull elk within the park that approached the park's fenced boundary. Pagel shot through the park fence and wounded the elk and then shot a second time, killing the elk within park boundaries.
Lucas and Randy Pagel entered the park by crossing under the park fence, and quartered and transported the elk to Fargo.
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Lucas Pagel forfeited collateral in the amount of $1,525 for unlawfully taking, possessing and transporting the elk in violation of the Lacey Act. He also paid $500 to the North Dakota Report All Poachers program in-lieu of forfeiture of the firearm used to take the elk, forfeited $500 to the park as restitution for the unlawfully taken elk, and forfeited the cape, rack and meat to the park.
The Lacey Act is a federal law that prohibits the transportation of wildlife that has been taken in violation of either state, federal or international law.
Randy Pagel forfeited collateral in the amount $75 for unlawfully removing the elk from the park.
