Guide pleads guilty for illegal Denali hunt

DENALI PARK -- Healy resident Annette M. Keith pleaded guilty in Fairbanks Federal District Court last week to three charges stemming from an illegal moose hunt in Denali National Park and Preserve three years ago.
Magistrate Judge Scott Oravec accepted a plea agreement under which Keith was fined $7,000 -- $2,000 for illegal hunting in the park, $2,000 for off-road vehicle travel and $3,000 for operating a business within the park without a permit.

She was placed on probation for three years, lost her guiding privileges for three years and lost her hunting privileges for two years.

At the time of the hunt, Keith was co-owner of Healy-based Castle Rock Outfitters and a state-licensed assistant guide. She and her brother-in-law, William Keith, were guiding a client from Florida who paid $9,250 for a moose hunt.

A Denali ranger conducting a helicopter patrol with an Alaska wildlife trooper spotted the trio more than two miles inside the park boundary north of 8 Mile Lake off Stampede Road. They had illegally driven two ATVs to within a quarter-mile of an unusual congregation of 26 moose.

The ranger and trooper were able to land near the hunting party before anyone had an opportunity to shoot. The client, who was unaware of the illegal nature of the hunt, cooperated with the investigation and was not charged.

According to Denali chief ranger Pete Armington, the park will continue joint operations with Alaska wildlife troopers in certain areas

"By combining efforts and resources, both agencies can do a more effective job of enforcing hunting regulations both inside the park and on adjacent state lands," he said in a press release.

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Source: http://www.adn.com/2010/03/23/1196618/guide-pleads-guilty-for-illegal.html

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