U.S. Department of Justice
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A professional hunting guide from Reno County pleaded guilty and was sentenced Monday for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Ryan Warden, 36, Haven, Kan., pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In his plea, he admitted the violations occurred while he was guiding two agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who were working undercover when they hired him. Warden was a co-owner of a guiding business called Misty Morning Outfitters with a business location at 109 South Kansas Street, Haven, Kan.
During the hunt, Warden shot a mourning dove from a motor vehicle, which is a violation. He also took one more than the daily bag limit of 15 mourning doves. He did not tag the birds when he took them back to the company’s lodge for storage.
Warden was sentenced to five years on probation, a fine of $2,500 and restitution of $5,000 to the state of Kansas. During probation he is prohibited from hunting, trapping, guiding or outfitting – as well as deriving any income from those activities. He also is prohibited from possessing firearms and archery equipment.
Grissom commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Tourism and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster for their work on the case.
