Has anyone ever had a run in with the dnr? Don't assume they are all great guys and don't go on witch hunts. Talk to people that have been checked by them and there are plenty of stories of them violating people's rights in their "pursuit of justice."
I have a lake cabin and the neighbor was a dnr guy. He bought a cabin off the lake with a shared access lot for about a dozen off lake lots to share. No docks allowed just day use. The guy wanted deeded lake access so he proposed an amendment to the association bylaws to make it deeded access, docks, shorestations, basically key hole access for a bunch of people that didn't pay for those rights. He approached me on my propert about the amendment and I politely told him I wasn't for amending the documents that we all bought the properties under. The guy got real upset and got in my face saying he doesn't have the money I have and it's not fair for my kids to be able to enjoy the lake when his kids can't (he didn't have kids at the time, but now does) because he has to pull his boat out at the end of the day and it's a pain... I offered to let the guy tie his boat up to our dock when he had family visiting and didn't want to monkey around. I thought that was pretty generous, but he was very upset because he wanted deeded lake access for free.
My neighbors indicated privately that they didn't want to sign the amendment and we should have a lake owners meeting. The guy got wind of the meeting and showed up uninvited to our meeting and dominated the dialogue. Long story short he went up and down the lake aggressively and most people signed it because they didn't want to make an enemy with the dnr and he was up there year round when most of us are weekenders.
I chose not to sign it and thought it was a complete abortion of basic property rights and intimidation shakedown. Low and behold I have dnr guys coming to my primary residence that fall 6 weeks after I shot a doe in a CWD zone, auditing my freezer, illegally going thru my phone pics and basically being bullies.
I don't know any of the facts, but I do know Cory wasn't popular with everyone in the area as a new outfitter in their backyard. I'm sure the dnr didn't stumble across him on some random check. My gut is they went there looking to find him guilty, OF SOMETHING. I don't know his travel schedule or his tax returns, but the guy owns a couple thousand acres (with money he earned in America) and spends a lot of time there working his property, etc. I believe that's what America was founded on; hard working people with dreams and I for one am a bit jealous of his success, or perceived success as I don't know the guy.
I don't know Cory or any of the facts, but I'm not sure I'm ready to condemn him even if the charges stick. At the surface it smells like witch hunt technicality charges.
I do reserve the right to change my opinion as we learn the facts. If he had nonresidents hunting there without proper licenses that would be just plain dumb.
Let's see how it plays out, but if he is found not guilty I think the state should reimburse him for his legal expenses.