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Minidoka County men fined for poaching sturgeon

It is illegal to harvest a sturgeon or even pull it from the water in Idaho.
Several large sturgeon were spotted in the north end of Lake Washington. Courtesy: Jennifer Cochran

MINIDOKA COUNTY, Idaho — Two men who poached a 5 1/2 foot sturgeon last year have sentenced to fines and suspended jail time in the case. 

Michael Dewhirst of Rupert, who pleaded guilty to possession of a sturgeon during closed season, was sentenced to 180 days suspended jail time, $315 in fines and court costs and a year of probation. Dewhirst was also ordered to pay $250 in restitution to the State of Idaho for the sturgeon.

WATCH: Idaho men catch 'monster' sturgeon in Snake River

Anthony Eaton of Heyburn, who pleaded guilty to aiding in the commission of a misdemeanor, was sentenced to 68 days suspended jail time $165 in court costs.

According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the pair had poached a large sturgeon from the Snake River on the south side spillway of the Minidoka Dam in fall 2018. Dewhirst and Eaton loaded the 5 1/2 foot fish into the trunk of their car and drove away, investigators say.

There is no legal sturgeon harvest in Idaho. Although fishermen are allowed to practice catch-and-release in much of the state, they are not allowed to even remove the slow-growing fish from the water. 

For more information on sturgeon fishing rules, click here.

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