Poacher banned from Sherburne refuge

A serial poacher was banned from hunting big game for five years, after pleading guilty to hunting in a closed area of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials said William Robert Welsh, 41, of Waite Park, admitted illegally shooting eight deer in the refuge between 2006 and 2011. In October, Welsh pleaded guilty to shooting one deer where hunting is not allowed.

Welsh was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Minneapolis.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Franklin L. Noel ruled that for the next five years, Welsh is banned from hunting big game and entering the Sherburne refuge. Welsh also may not hunt small game for two years.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson Tina Shaw said Welsh had been poaching deer in the area for 17 years.

"We think that any case that brings an end to illegal activity in wildlife crime is a win, in this case, for ethical hunters all across the region. So we're very pleased with the outcome," Shaw said.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources learned of Welsh through the Turn in Poachers hotline.

Attorney William Peterson noted that Welsh pleaded guilty to killing one deer on the refuge.

"Mr. Welsh and his family were anxious to get it behind them and that is what was accomplished," Peterson said. "In all, it was a balanced decision by the court on the sentencing, so we're satisfied with that."