KALAMAZOO, Mich. – A Michigan man who admitted he’s “not the most ethical hunter” is facing 10 charges for a variety of deer hunting violations.
Officials with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said they began investigating Scott Kevin Meisterheim in February 2022 after receiving tips on a poaching hotline.
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Details about allegations
Kalamazoo County Conservation Officer James Nason said he interviewed several witnesses about Meisterheim’s hunting activities between October and December 2021.
Nason said Meisterheim, 55, of Kalamazoo, took at least 11 deer from Oct. 1 to Dec. 24, 2021.
Meisterheim took three deer Oct. 1 and believed he was “tagged out” the first week of archery season, according to authorities.
Within three days, Meisterheim let two deer spoil to the point they were rejected by the processor, DNR officials said.
Nason said Meisterheim hunted both without a license and during all hours of the day. He used illegal bait and obtained deer tags from other people to cover up his illegal deer, if he even tagged them at all, according to the DNR.
Charges
Meisterheim was arraigned earlier this month at 8th District Court in Kalamazoo County.
He’s charged with taking white-tailed deer outside of lawful hunting hours, two counts of hunting white-tailed deer without a license, two counts of using the deer hunting license of another person, two counts of taking an over-limit of antlered white-tailed deer, and three counts of transporting/possessing untagged antlered white-tailed deer.
The DNR is requesting additional charges for illegal bait, failing to immediately validate/attach kill tags, and using another person’s license.
Meisterheim returned to court Wednesday (Jan. 25) for a pretrial hearing.
“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.”
Meisterheim is scheduled to return to court in February.
Meisterheim interview from jail
Nason interviewed Meisterheim at the Kalamazoo County Jail, where Meisterheim was being held on suspicion of domestic abuse.
“Sure, I love to kill deer,” Meisterheim said. “If I could kill more, I would, to be honest with you.”
He told 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.”
Meisterheim claimed that injured deer would sometimes stumble up to his hunting location and die.
He also hunted on several properties in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties without permission, according to the DNR.
Meisterheim is currently serving 18 months of probation for aggravated domestic assault in Kalamazoo County.
