Delta man pleads guilty to illegally taking deer

Sigourney, Iowa- A Delta man facing four separate charges relating to a recent hunting incident has pled guilty. Ryan Warren Martin appeared in Keokuk County Associate District Court Monday morning, January 7, to answer to the charges of illegally taking a whitetail deer, no deer license or tag, no hunting license, and no habitat fee. 

The most serious charge Martin faced was the illegal take of a whitetail deer. Martin was issued a citation for the offense on December 17, 2018, with the date of the offense being listed as November 16, 2018. In addition, the DNR officer who issued Martin the ticket, Wes Gould, filed a citation for liquidated damages for $1,500, Liquidated damages are set by the Iowa Legislature. Associate District Court Judge Daniel Kitchen informed Martin during his court appearance that the liquidated damages would be the worst part of his punishment and that he had no ability to change the fine.

“The heavier blow comes from that, not necessarily anything else,” Kitchen said.

For more on this story, catch the January 9 edition of the News-Review.