A tip to the Maine Warden’s Service resulted in charges for five hunters from Massachusetts and one from Maine after the group allegedly killed nearly 90 snowshoe hares during an illegal weekend hunting trip to Great Duck Island.
Cpl. John MacDonald of the Maine Wardens Service said the men were apprehended Saturday on Great Duck, about 10 miles off Mount Desert Island.
“I think all of the indications so far is that it was a sport-related kill and I think we always hope to catch people in the act like this when we get a good tip, but sometimes — actually most times — these don’t follow through as planned,” he said.
MacDonald said the hunters were found to have taken 67 snowshoe hares over their daily bag limit. In total, the group allegedly killed 87 hares during their day of hunting on the island, which is owned by the Nature Conservancy.