2 Michigan men charged with illegal hunting, animal cruelty

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Two men from northern Michigan face felony charges for illegal hunting and animal cruelty.

Nicholas Patnode, 19, and 20-year-old Zander Garrett were arrested April 12 and arraigned last week in Kalkaska County District Court.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources started an investigation in 2022 after receiving a tip on the agency’s poaching hotline. Conservation officers were able to determine that a group of men had committed multiple crimes, including illegally killing at least six deer.

One of the deer, a nine-point buck, was shot from the window of a truck. While the DNR did not provide details, the two men allegedly “inhumanely killed” a porcupine.

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Patnode faces 11 charges in all, including two counts of killing or torturing animals in the third degree, punishable by up to four years in jail, $5,000 in fines and up to 500 hours of community service. The other nine are misdemeanor charges, including taking game from a vehicle and possessing a bow or crossbow in a vehicle operated on public land or roads.

Garrett faces three charges, including one felony and two misdemeanors.

“When there is this many violations, including torturing animals, education only goes so far. These crimes need to be addressed,” DNR Law Enforcement Division Chief Jason Haines said in a statement. “Prosecution of these acts will hopefully deter not only these individuals but others from committing similar crimes in the future.”

A third man, a juvenile, was also involved but made a plea agreement through the county’s juvenile court.

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Patnode and Garrett are due back in court next week.

The DNR encourages anyone who witnesses a DNR violation to call or text the agency’s poaching hotline at 800.292.7800. Monetary rewards may be offered for information that leads to arrests and convictions.

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