Stiff sentence for deer poacher who “didn’t like deer”

Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001 | 6:50 a.m.

Yerington District Court Judge David Huff sentenced Alberto S. Guillen, 22, on Wednesday to six months in jail and ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine for shooting the deer out of season and leaving them for dead in Smith Valley east of Yerington in September.

Guillen pleaded guilty last week to two counts of unlawful killing of wildlife, a gross misdemeanor.

Game warden Steve Tomac of Yerington said Guillen admitted to the shootings and told him "he didn't like deer," according to a statement from the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

Guillen, who works for Smith Valley Cattle Feeders, told the warden he shot the two mule deer because earlier a deer ran in front of his car and he nearly hit it. He didn't want his car damaged by any other deer, Tomac said.

An archery deer hunter found one of the dead deer in a field in Smith Valley and telephoned the Division of Wildlife's Operation Game Thief hotline, Tomac said.

Tomac and warden Reid Varble of Carson City later found the remains of another deer on the property of Smith Valley Cattle Feeders.

"The community followed this case very closely and they were up in arms about it," Tomac said. "I received dozens of questions from locals about what was happening with the case and what penalty he would receive."

The judge sentenced Guillen to six months in jail on the first count and an additional year in jail on the second count, but then suspended the sentence for the second count. He'll serve three years probation after the six-month term is completed.

"Deer are treasured possessions in the valley and the harsh sanctions levied against Mr. Guillen ... send a strong message to those who would break wildlife laws," said John Schlegelmilch, the Lyon County deputy district attorney. "Don't poach in Lyon County."