Fire him. It's that simple. He of all people knew that he was breaking the law and will I admire that he did admit his quilt and did plead guilty he still should not hold the position of Park Ranger.

At least he admits guilt, maybe the politicians can learn from this. When you screw up, at least admit it.

Could buy a whole lot of steak with $1,000.00 and what it will cost you and me to house him in the crowbar hotel for a long weekend.

yeah but what we don't know is how many other times have they done this....a moose isn't safe anywhere up there...fine too small, jail time not long enough...they probably sold enough moose meat in the past to pay that fine many times over....no sympathy from me...

Dude,, Ill take his job,, I would love to be a ranger up there, and Ill promise not to shoot any animals out of season or at night... Between rangers and wardens,, there are two of the toughest jobs in the state to get.. I went on a hunt out in illinois and all they have to do is fill out a piece of paper to get there guides license.....

He is still an officer of the law...in charge of who? I would say he be considered a joke out in the Allagash by those who live up there. I leave real justice in their hand. I would not show an ounce of respect for him nor trust a word he has to say if he is retained in his prior capacity. Just another clown with a piece of tin and a gun and another case of a criminal in charge...another Colonel Thomas A. Santaguida our former head warden now living on a sweet retirement pension after jacking under size lobsters. We have good honest young people who need and want jobs working with the woods and wildlife...they flee this state to get away from its oppressive and depressive leadership. In a recession hah...we got the rest of the nation beat...we have never left a recession. I stated leadership as they are the ones in Maine history who have made sure nothing is here for young people(or any people). No infrastructure, no businesses, no young people, no hope...they the powers that be always seeing their self interest first. Shameful

I agree, this man is supposed to protect the wildlife and enforce the laws, he should not be allowed to hold this job.

He needs to be fired right now.You bet theres alot of honest young people that would love that job.And he should have gotten punished much harder.When it comes to this stuff he of all people should be held to a higher standard.After all we're paying him to protect wildlife and he's out there shootin it,at night and out of season!And everything acadian wrote is true.Couldnt have said it better.

More proof that the biggest crooks are the ones wearing the spiffy uniforms.

Book'em Dano

What about the other poacher? Smoking pot and rideing around with a gun is kin of scarry! Take away his right to hunt and his guns.

if he was "having a hard time" that's because he was probably buying the dope that was being grown. i don't think any less of anyone for that though, it's a safer alternative then drinking thats for sure. perhaps legalizing would help good people who enjoy a toke now and then not have to deal with drug dealers. if the state takes his job they should at least give him food stamps so he's not out night hunting.

officer of the law? i dont think so. just so all of you are aware, being a park ranger is no where near the job of a warden and not to be confused with a forest ranger. Forest rangers and park rangers may be the same department but are a totally different department. Park rangers have little if any law enforcement authority in the state. they simply clean campsites and make sure people are ok on the waterway and make sure people are ok. they do not issue summons for illegal camping or such. a lot of people hear park ranger and automatically assume this is a law enforcement figure but get it confused with the other two entities within the state.

as for mr. caron, he admited that he was wrong which was the right thing to do. now if he had any bit of brain left in him, the right thing to do would be to resign from the department. i believe he will be blackballed when people use the waterway and meet with him. how can he tell a group of people that they are illegally camping when he broke the law previously. people like this should not be in charge of anyone!!!

correction on that last comment. they may have the same department but are different BUREAU.

I'll be anxious to see what the next phase of punishment for him consists of. Obviously, he can't be trusted so give the job to someone who would appreciate having a position like that. Instead of housing him in jail at the taxpayers expense, why not get him out there doing community service... spring is coming and there is a lot of work to be done! People like him should be working... volunteer work, to help those that can't find jobs... instead of it being the other way around. Work him like a mule!

The moose was destroying the park so he was protecting the trees . A cultivated patch was growing there that needed protection.

i agree with mooser04. A park ranger is not a law enforcement position. Hopefully, and supposedly, the state is going to review Mr. Caron's case and he will be dealt with by them, not the posters here. However, I think a park ranger should have respect for all laws regarding wildlife and the environment. Everybody is having hard times, but that doesn't mean breaking the law is OK.

Enough condemning already.....If I was hungry I'd shoot a moose also......

What kind of pay does a man in his position receive? If he was cultivating pot...I assume he was selling it too... what kind of money does pot net for an individual? This man is simply crooked and his excuses for hunting illegally aren't merited in my opinion. If he thought he was having a tough time prior to this incident... imagine how difficult it's going to be for him now.

On the flip side... I commend him for his honesty.

Charged only with night Hunting. Lets just forget about the killing a MOOSE illegally part. There are people who have put in for a chance to hunt Moose legally for over 20 years and haven't won the right to do so. This CLOWN says he doesn't need to obey the law and just goes out and shoots one anyway. Yeah, I am sure it takes a real genious to come up with the excuse "I need to eat". What did they expect him to say " I did it for the thrill and excitement?" Thats whats wrong with the legal system here in Maine, they will step on the neck of the average citizen, but one of their own, well, lets just slap him on the wrist. And people wonder why no one trusts the police, judges, D.A.'s or anyone in authority. If the authorities really were doing their job they would make an example out of this guy and give him all should get without any sympathy. Makes me think this criminal has some info on other well knowns in the department or law enforcement. Otherwise, how can this happen, no RATIONAL Prosecutor would let him get away with Hunting and Killing a MOOSE.

I have met jess and reid many times on camping trips through the allagash waterway. They are great guys, but they did make a STUPID mistake. I wonder how many people writing these comments have driven at night in that area, i assure you it can be a scary thing with the amount of moose there. If you havent seen it yourself, you wouldnt understand. Summer of 06 i had an 1100 lb bull crash through the windshield of my truck, and that was one of the dosen or so moose seen from allagash to caribou. I was lucky to walk away with my life, i have no sympathy for the moose, we need population control in that area. I know thats off topic, but whats the big deal. Pay the fine, do the time, go back to work. They do an amazing job keeping the allagash clean, and native, and besides, there is moose meat in almost everyones freezer from caribou north anyway.

How is there even a question about whether or not this man should be fired? He was convicted of the very crimes that he is supposed to be policing.

Well...since there are so many moose up that way... let's just ignore all the laws that are in place and let them off the hook. "rolling eyes"

Hey noname - I agree - we do need population control in the Allegash area. Human population control. Did it occur to you that part of the "moose problem" might be that there are too many guys riding around in pickup trucks in the wilderness?

And because these two guys were so nice... we'll let them keep their jobs too!

Perhaps when Moose permits are passed out next year they should concentrate more on the areas North of Bangor.... Now that would be a "sensible" solution.

No excuse for breaking the law..if he needed food so bad he should spend his paycheck more wisely...like ON FOOD...NOT DRUGS! He doesn't realize how lucky he was to have a JOB!

Fire his _ss!!! He is (was) a public figure who took advantage of his authority. He doesn't deserve to be in that position. He assumed he would never be caught. As metioned earlier how many times have they done this?? Couldn't get by! "what a poor excuse" LOSER!@!@

I think whats not being realized here is that many individuals or families cannot afford to pay grocery bills, heating bills, car payments on the low income that is recieved in AROOSTOOK COUNTY. many people are faced to hardships like this type of action and if it saves money than so be it. I myself would do the same thing. In my opinion this half of the people that have written on this column should start cultivating marijuana and smoking it and then maybe they will sit down and realize what kind of hardshipos are faced in AROOSTOOK COUNTY. By the way, if you havent realized yet, the peiople that are smoking dope arent out stealing, murdering, or fiending for drugs like the rest of the world. COME TO YOUR SENSES PEOPLE !!!

To Reality Check: Drug dealers aren't out murdering, stealing or fiending (??) for drugs like the rest of the world? What part of Aroostook County do you live in? Obviously you are smoking way too much of that wacky weed. Here in Aroostook County, we have a crime wave that has been building for the last two years to include petty larceny to out right theft of goods and services to home burglaries. These stats are up over 45%. Oh, and don't forget the murder of a very well like man who respected his country and worked hard out in Woodland. (I believe they stole his wallet and his safe). If you condone stealing, shooting Moose out of season, and smoking illegal drugs, then I can see why you have that opinion. Why don't you try to get some of YOUR programs in front of the tax payer? We've been trying for years to find a way to help out the impoverished people of our county, and you've solved it all!! Let them cultivate dope!! Great plan!! There are lots of people on Food Stamps, MaineCare and other government programs in the county that don't go out and kill animals illegally with an excuse. That's why we have these programs and why are taxes are taken to help out those who need it. We the people of Aroostook County are a proud people and always have been. We will get through this time together, and together we will move forward to better lives that doesn't include participating in illegal activities and teaching our children how to cultivate illegal drugs to survive.

Get your head out of the ozone, and help!!

Spot on Bangorian!!

That's not true, JWBooth. I served with many courageous men and women in "spiffy uniforms" and their courage was limitless. Try remembering NYC and 9/11/01 before you make remarks like that.

realitycheck22 : ) I agree w/ you. He is not in the same situation as a common person though. He has been entrusted w/ protecting. That is where he went wrong. I would do the same as he did, the difference is I didnt swear to up hold the law, he did. The truthe is hard times are everywhere & I knew some boys that took more than their share & was selling game meat. I wonder if this was his plan & for how long he had been doing it? Pot ,thats nothing to me, it is the fact that he was lying to begin w/.

He cleans picnic tables, he's not Wyatt Earp!!!

If he just cleans picnic tables, they should fire him and have him clean the outhouses instead! He doesn't deserve to have a job paid for by hard working people's tax dollars.

With the price of meat around $4.00 a pound, $1000 dollar fine is a pretty cheap fine and a pretty small risk to take. It sure isn't what you would call a deterrent.

We hunted that area this past season for two hrs. and shot the 4th moose we saw. Hunted down east for a week and saw nothing. My point? Just darn jelous. Yea, I'll take his job!

HE WORKS FOR THE STATE OF MAINE. DO YOU THINK IF I HAD A OUI ON MY RECORD THE STATE WOULD HIRE ME TO BE A DRIVER EDUCATION TEACHER? HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS FALLEN ON HARD TIMES. HE SHOULD BE LET GO WITH NO FURTHER COMPENSATION!!!!!

You people really don't know the facts. He was on his own time and he didn't kill any moose,he was just riding with a guy and the other guy shot the moose rather than have it ram the truck. He wasn't charged with any thing to do with drugs. Ya'll would like to hang him. He gave the wardens all the

info they needed to hang JESS.

i THINK HE LEARNED A GOOD LESSON FROM THIS LEAVE IT ALONE MOST OF THE COMMENTS ARE PEOPLE ON FOOD STAMPS YOURSELVES

AND ME

There are predictions that the Maine moose population exceeds 50,000, but no one knows for sure. Regardless of the actual numbers, it is a limited, but sustainable resource. Too many moose that are legally shot for sport alone, however, are wasted or not consumed by the hunter. Those that are shot illegally, I think it is safe to assume by this article alone, tend not to be wasted and are, instead, consumed by the hunter or his or her family and friends for subsistence. All moose hunting should occur for the primary purpose of providing sustenance to Mainers, whether the collateral purpose is sport, outdoor adventure or not. To the point it can be efficiently sustained, all Mainers in need, such as the accused here, should be able to hunt moose and other wildlife for sustenance provided it is done based on need and not sport alone. If the law changed to recognize and permit this, it would likely result in two benefits. The first is that Mainers with properly assessed sustenance needs would have priority access to sufficient moose and a variety of other wildlife allocations. The second is that a long overdue re-alignment of the concept of sport hunting could be encouraged or mandated that promoted ecotourism and wildlife viewing adventures in it's place in order to continue to support Maine outfitter and lodge business who currently rely on sport hunting revenus. This simple adjustment would likely be enough to permit conservation with a substantial increase in subsistence harvesting.

ppwoodsman The man is a park ranger / conservation officer. Pulling the trigger or not, he should have stopped it. They were on a mission and failed. they need to pay the price!!!

AmbroseBear; Sustenance - Subsistence - Substantial - sufficient - simple adjustment!! What the hell are you talkng about? You are lost in words!

WHAT IS THE POINT YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE??

Understandable...times are tough in all walks of life right now. Many people struggle and work very hard for what they have. Yes...we do live in a region where moose are abundant, and take lives every year but the fact is ... majority of the people who live in this area still abide by the law. If they do not recieve a permit to hunt moose then maybe they are lucky enough to get meat from those who do. Many families who truely struggle get help from welfare for food, clothing, heating, etc - yet there are many middle class folks who struggle also and do not qualify for such help...but you do not see us breaking the laws to suit our needs.

The fact is that when you take an oath to become an officer whether you commit the crime or are a witness to it...you stand to be punished along with the others. If that means changing your friends or staying away from such "non law abiding citizens" once you become an officer (to not put yourself in situations like his)...it shouldn't be something very hard to figure out, especially after having been an officer for some time. If we all made excuses for each other...like someone broke the law because they are "having a hard time"....no one would have to obey the laws because everyone would always come up with a reason why it was "alright" for them. The consequences should fit the crime...& if the agency feels that they should keep such an individual then they are not setting a good example for other officers (in various positions/agenicies).

By way of apology to Hampden1, I was trying to make an argument to reduce sport hunting in favor of increasing subsistence hunting... hunting for food. By making the further point that this could happen without impacting existing sporting camps and the like if laws changed to encourage, in place of sport hunting, more ecotourism, wildlife photography, etc ... this would accommodate an increase in hunting for food. This, in my view, would be a simple policy change or legislative adjustment in current law. Again, my apologies to you sir.

Most people know that the Allagash is teeming with moose and one has to keep a sharp lookout at every curve in the road to keep from either hitting one or being hit by one. They can and do attack. It, therefore, seems that if ppwoodsman's facts are correct, then no crime was committed. Surely one can shoot an attacking moose in order to defend persons or property whether one shoots it from a vehicle or otherwise? The part-time warden may or may not have needed to report the shooting incident to anyone else given the fact that HE, himself, represented and knew both the law and the facts in this situation. He could and, likely, did authorize Mr. McBrierity to dispose of it legally. In the circumstances, Mr. McBrierity may have even wanted to share his prize with his off-duty friend, which is just as likely the case as not. If, on the other hand, these facts are not correct, then the usual consequences for wilfully breaking the law will follow.

Allagash brothers and sisters get married to each other,they are there own grandpaw,they hunt dog and eat cat meat.

Dontdodo you sound like you are the product of some sort of cross-breed. Reid was wrong, Jess was wrong. They should BOTH be responsible for their actions. Don't put down the rest of Allagash or anybody else for it! I'm sure the moose wasn't going to RAM the p/u as ppwoodsman stated. If that were the case, they should have driven off, backed up, whatever!! And as far as Reid providing all the information that was needed to prosecute Jess, that was just Reid being Reid-- A WEASEL! He'll get a lesser charge to turn evidence. There are lots of good people in Allagash. These guys should pay their dues and everyone else be left alone.

Whether or not the moose was or was not about to ram the vehicle is the question, and that is one that has to be determined by a judge> Isn't it? If they aren't believed they're likely going to be convicted. Comments that the off duty warden appreciated the moose meat don't necessarily prove the shooting of the moose was improper, although their are ethical questions about his accepting any part of the moose. it would seem he would have simply allowed Mr. McBrierity to dispose of the moose and that the warden take no part in it. Bad judgement, however, is not, in itself, the basis of a crime, and it may not shield him from administrative action by Fish and Wildlife managers at the conclusion of their investigation. it will be interesting to see how this case is resolved.

I think we need to give the moose guns and let them do some hunting.....