"What we're hoping is that judges will see that [poaching] has an impact on our natural heritage because it is a felony. Maybe it will carry a little more weight in the sentencing," Ryan said reflecting on the number of perpetrators who slipped through the cracks while the offense was labeled as a misdemeanor. " As you can imagine, a judge's docket is pretty full with more substantial crimes in the eyes of the judge and District Attorney. More often than not, it [was] a slap on the wrist or court costs and the person [was] allowed to walk."