Waterfowl Guide Service Pays Fine After Investigation Into Wildlife Law Violations

(Islip, N.Y.)  Two Long Island men recently agreed to pay a $5,000 fine each after an investigation into complaints that they violated wildlife laws while operating Knock Em Down Guide Service, a waterfowl hunting business.  The fines will go to the North American Wetland Conservation Fund. 

At an October 23rd appearance at the United States Courthouse, Eastern District of New York, waterfowl hunting guides captain Glenn Gieck of Wading River and captain Daniel Schnappauf of Babylon agreed to pay the fines without admitting guilt. They also agreed to surrender their U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s Credentials for one year and adhere to a one-year probationary period. Such credentials are required by captains of vessels holding at least one paying customer. 

The actions were a result of a two-year investigation responding to complaints from hunters that Knock Em Down Guide Service and their clients violated state and federal migratory game bird hunting laws and regulations. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, Investigations Division and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation-Division of Law Enforcement.

Working under cover, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents booked and paid for guided waterfowl hunts on Long Island from Knock Em Down Guide Service in the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 New York State waterfowl hunting seasons. During the hunts agents documented violations where Gieck and Schnappauf directly broke the law or instructed their clients to do so. 

Violations included federal misdemeanors such as taking migratory game birds from a boat moving under power, taking in excess of the daily personal bag limit, failing to make a reasonable effort to retrieve a dead or injured bird (wanton waste), hunting with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells and receiving untagged birds. 

Migratory game bird hunting is regulated under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, enacted to protect migratory birds from market hunting and other commercial interests. Hunting migratory game bird species and businesses guiding hunters in pursuit of migratory game birds are legal, but must be done in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations.