An Orleans man has pleaded guilty to a 2017 moose poaching and wanton waste case.

Authorities say Gerin Fortin, 22, pleaded guilty last month to taking a moose in a closed season by illegal means. He admitted shooting a cow moose in September 2017 in a Westmore hayfield using the headlights of his truck. Authorities say he then dragged the moose eight miles over pavement to the outskirts of Orleans before abandoning the moose to rot.

Wardens say the moose was lactating and likely had a calf with it when it was killed. Vermont's top game warden, Col. Jason Batchelder, called the case "particularly heinous."

Fortin was sentenced to serve 60 days on a state work crew, pay $2,000 in restitution, attend alcohol counseling and lose hunting privileges for three years.