Police were investigating the Cox family’s hunt in Freeburg, Illinois.

In this Illinois Conservation Police evidence photo, the camera is fixed to a tree near the deer hunting blinds on Cox’s property in rural Freeburg. The orange numbers on the left indicate the location of the 9 bait blinds or stands.

Illinois Conservation Police

Former MLB pitcher Danny Cox and his family were under investigation for more than a month for alleged hunting violations before the Illinois Conservation Police showed up at their rural Freeburg property in mid-November. . Issued 33 citations and written warnings to 5 people.

This is according to a November 26 field report recently released to BND by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

In the report, Officer Amanda McCune wrote that she was using the IDNR database for her investigation on October 9. She uncovered an apparent deer-hunting violation by Nancy Cox, wife of Danny Cox and former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and gateway. Grizzlies manager.

“Nancy L. Cox harvested 5 pt. bucks without habitat stamps on 10/08/22,” McKune wrote in the report. “Nancy also harvested a doe with a shotgun without Habitat her stamp on 12/04/21.”

McCune and another officer went to Cox’s property but were unable to contact the occupants, according to the report. They later determined that Nancy Cox was not hunting and other people were using her permit illegally.

When contacted by phone last week, Nancy Cox declined to comment on behalf of herself and her husband.

While on Cox’s property in October, officers allegedly watched trail cameras at nine baited deer stands or blinds with corn, molasses and mineral salts. Danny Cox, 63, said on Nov. 18 that he is a “conservationist” who feeds the deer year-round so they have enough to eat.

Feeding deer is illegal in Illinois due to ethical or “fair pursuit” standards and the risk of disease spread from feeding in groups, but more than 20 states allow it, according to IDNR.

McKune reported finding apparent hunting violations by other Cox families while checking the IDNR database on November 10 and November 16, and she reported that on November 14, police found a deer. I pointed out that I went to their property to make sure the stands and blinds were still being fed.

References to the October 9th, November 10th, and November 14th police actions indicate that the Illinois Conservation Police investigation into the Cox family was well underway on November 15th, Officers were conducting aerial surveillance of the area using Illinois State Police planes. , as previously he was reported by the BND.

X marks the area outside Freeburg where the Illinois Conservation Police issued subpoenas and written warnings to eight people hunting on land owned by the Speizer and Cox families on November 18. . google map

51 total suspected violations

Illinois Conservation Police Returns According to field reports, they arrived at Cox’s property in the early hours of November 18, the first day of the 2022 firearms deer hunting season.

They accused Danny Cox, his sons Kamdan Cox, 27, Kyle Cox, 32, and two friends from out of state from being baited for not wearing the required orange clothes. It has issued 21 subpoenas and 12 written warnings for alleged violations ranging from use and hunting. Without proper permits and stamps.

“When questioned about Nancy’s harvest, Danny stated that she used Nancy’s firearms deer permit to harvest the doe on 12/04/21 and Camdan used her archery deer permit on 10/08-22. They told me they harvested 5 points using the permit back,” McKune wrote in the report.

Illinois law requires most deer hunters to have a state hunting license. An archery or firearm deer permit provided free of charge to landowners of 39.5 acres or more. A habitat stamp that raises funds for habitat restoration. It cannot be transferred to another person.

Some citations for hunting violations in Illinois can be processed with a fine payment of $195. In the Cox case, police are ordering all five of him to appear in St. Clair County Circuit Court on January 18.

November 18th, The police also went to the neighboring area Owned by Freeburg Mayor Seth Speiser, it issued eight subpoenas and ten written warnings against Speiser, his son Mitchell Speiser, and another man, Brian Forrester, for similar hunting violations. issued.

Police did not require court appearances in the Speiser case.

Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Danny Cox (left) throws his hat on to the crowd during a game in the 1987 World Series. At right is a mineral block on Cox’s property near Freeburg, shown in photographic evidence from the Illinois Conservation Police. AP/Illinois Conservation Police Rusty Kennedy

Cox’s Children Investigated

Illinois Conservation Police used the IDNR database to investigate Nancy and Danny Cox’s daughter Kayleigh Cox and son Kyle Cox, before showing up at their property on Nov. 18, according to field reports.

On November 10, McKune determined that Kayleigh Cox appeared to have harvested a 10-point buck with a crossbow without a hunting license or habitat stamp. That led to questions about her place of residence.

“Further investigation revealed that Kayleigh did not reside[on the property]permanently,” McCune wrote. “In order to receive the landowner’s permission, the individual must live with the landowner.”

McKune also determined that Kayleigh Cox appears to have harvested the doe with a shotgun in 2021 with an invalid landowner’s permission. Police later learned that Cary Cox was not hunting and that others were using her permit illegally, the field report said.

On November 16, McKune said Kyle Cox apparently harvested a 7-point buck with a compound bow without a hunting license or habitat stamp, and he did not live on the property, so he was granted a free landowner permit. I have decided that I am not eligible for , Also.

McKune also determined that Kyle Cox appears to have harvested 8 points of gold in 2021 with a shotgun without a hunting license, habitat stamp, or residence owner status.

McKune’s November 26 field report was the second report released by IDNR in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the BND. Earlier last month, the agency released a Nov. 28 field report written by Officer David Ray that focused primarily on Speiser’s possessions.

Ray’s report referred to the Illinois Conservation Police using an Illinois State Police plane on November 15 to observe a possible bait area southeast of Freeburg. Go to Spizer and Cox Properties Immediately check their presence and mark them.

The Illinois Conservation Police issued a subpoena for deer hunting violations to Freeburg Mayor Seth Speither (left) and his son Mitchell Speither, in photographic evidence taken Nov. 18. offered

Police contact on November 18

According to a November 26 field report, McCune and Don Schachner of the Illinois Conservation Police went to Cox’s property in the early hours of November 18 and attacked Danny Cox, Kyle Cox, Steve Pate, and Barry.・I got in touch with Nosener.

Police determined that Danny Cox and Nosener were not wearing or had flaming orange clothing, and that Danny Cox, Pate, and Nosener were illegally hunting deer with firearms using bait. I judged.

“Danny said he puts out corn all year round to make sure the deer have food,” McCune writes. “Danny told me he likes to think of himself as a conservationist and he tries to do things the right way.”

According to reports, Danny Cox told McCune that neither Nancy Cox nor Kayleigh Cox were hunting. Share your permit with out-of-state friends. And sometimes he hunts using a deer antler-only permit to provide meat for his family to consume.

Danny Cox told McCune that Pate harvested seven points of gold on November 16 using Kyle Cox’s archery deer permit.

“Danny told me he had been doing this for several years and realized he had made a mistake,” McCune writes. I said I’ll try to get rid of it all.”

The report also claimed that:

  • Pate was initially unaware of the existence of bait on Cox’s property and told officers he had not harvested deer in 2022, but later harvested a 7-point buck from the blinds on Nov. 16. You said you forgot what you did. A large mineral block, corn, a camera, and that he used Kyle’s landowner’s archery permit.
  • Kyle was hunting from the only blind spot where no bait was found, before admitting that he actually lived with his wife in Belleville and had a bedroom in his parent’s house, where he sometimes lived. , falsely said that he lived on the land. He stayed while helping them on the property.
  • Nosener, a friend who supposedly went to school with Danny Cox, told cops he didn’t know there was bait on Cox’s property and wore the blazing orange clothes he had in his truck at home. said he had forgotten
  • Kamdan Cox, a Tennessee resident, admitted in a phone interview that he had placed bait on the property in the past. Without a valid turkey permit he harvested the turkey on October 1st and did not report it. and harvested a 5-point buck on Oct. 8 using his mother’s archery deer permit.

Police seized antler from 8-point and 10-point bucks determined to have been illegally harvested by Danny Cox, and antler from 7-point buck determined to have been illegally harvested by Pate Did.

List of citations and caveats

Below is a complete list of citations and written warnings regarding Cox’s property on November 18th.

Freeburg’s Danny B. Cox, 63

Quote:

  • Do not wear flaming orange hats and vests
  • how to put deer food

  • deer hunting with baited firearms

  • Take 8 points back with bait

  • Use bait to get 10 points back

  • License to use archery deer issued elsewhere

warning:

Kamdan B. Cox, 27, from Clarksville, Tennessee

Quote:

  • Illegal capture of wild turkeys
  • Hunting in Turkey without a valid permit
  • Not Properly Reporting Turkey Harvest
  • Illegal acquisition of 5 points back
  • Archery deer hunting without a valid permit
  • Archery deer hunting with bait
  • Falsification of the 5-point back harvest report

warning:

  • hunt turkeys with bait
  • Didn’t tag the turkey immediately after killing it
  • Possession of someone else’s archery deer permit
  • Don’t tag 5 point back on kill
  • Illegal dumping of waterfowl feed

Kyle B. Cox, 32, from Belleville

Quote:

  • Hunting deer with guns without a valid permit
  • Firearm deer hunting without habitat stamp
  • Providing false information to obtain permission

warning:

  • unlicensed deer hunting

STEVE M. PATE, 62, FROM MARIETTA, GA

Quote:

  • deer hunting with baited firearms
  • Archery deer hunting without a valid permit
  • Getting Illegal 7 Point Back (Archery)
  • Do not tag a deer immediately after killing it

warning:

  • Deer hunting with unlicensed and unmarked firearms
  • Providing false or false information to the police

BARRY T. NORTHENOR, 63, from Roswell, Georgia

Quote:

  • Do not wear flaming orange hats and vests

warning:

  • deer hunting with baited firearms

Teri Maddox joined the Belleville News-Democrat in 1990 and has been a reporter for 37 years. She also teaches journalism at her Community College in St. Louis in Forrest She Park. She holds degrees from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.



https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article270559792.html Police were investigating the Cox family’s hunt in Freeburg, Illinois.

Exit mobile version