Washtenaw County man sentenced for sabotaging hunter's UP tree stand
MARQUETTE COUNTY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A Washtenaw County man who intentionally sabotaged a hunter's tree stand over a hunting spot in the Upper Peninsula is sentenced to 60 days in jail, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday.
Thomas Steele III, 23, of Chelsea, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and hunter harassment.
Steele, who was a Northern Michigan University student at the time, is ordered to reimburse the victim for their medical expenses after he fell from the stand. He is also ordered to serve a one-year probation term.
"Hunter harassment is real and taken very seriously," Dave Shaw, chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, said in a press release. "Most hunters respect the land and each other and take pride in an ethical hunt.
"The DNR hopes that by sharing the details of this case, we can bring awareness to the consequences of this person's unethical and dangerous behavior and know that it will not be tolerated."
DNR officials say the harassment began in October 2020 in Marquette County when the hunter found a note on the tree stand stating that he was posted in Steele's hunting spot. However, hunters cannot claim exclusive rights on public hunting land, according to the DNR.
Steele left his number for the hunter to call him and deleted photos from his trail camera. The hunter called to apologize, but lost patience and said he would stay away after Steele ordered him to stay off the land.
Officials say the hunter returned to the spot weeks later and surveyed the area before climbing on the platform, which was untouched. He fell 15 to 20 feet to the ground immediately after stepping on the platform, injuring his ankle and back.
The hunter discovered the stand hanging about 8 feet above the ground. He called 911, fearing that Steele was spying on him, and found that his memory card had been wiped clean again.
Officials say the harassment continued as the hunter returned to the spot sometime later. Steele texted the hunter, saying "Are we going to work something out for this spot or what? I got a picture of you yesterday going in there with climbing sticks. Just not gonna respect I was there first?"
An investigation into the incident revealed that Steele cut the hunter's tree stand straps for a second time.
"The straps were cut in such a way that they would support the weight of the tree stand but would break as soon as additional weight was applied to them, having a trap door effect," DNR conservation officer Josh Boudreaux said in a press release. "The victim would have fallen 15 to 20 feet to the ground."
Investigators also obtained Steele's trail camera, which was left on state land. Believing the hunter stole his camera, Steele left threatening voicemails and disparaged him on local social media groups.
DNR officials say Steele called 911 to report the missing camera. But while with conservation officers, he confessed to sabotaging the tree stand.
Steele withdrew from NMU before he was expelled. His hunting privileges were also revoked, spanning nearly all 50 states.
