'I could kill more': 'Bering Sea Gold' star Scott Meisterheim faces poaching charges for killing 11 deer
KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN: A Michigan man who confessed he's "not the most ethical hunter" is facing ten deer hunting offenses charges. After receiving reports on a poaching hotline, officials with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources claimed they began investigating former reality TV star Scott Kevin Meisterheim in February 2022.
According to Kalamazoo County Conservation Officer James Nason, he interviewed multiple witnesses regarding Scott's hunting activity between October and December 2021. Scott of Kalamazoo, according to James, took at least 11 deer between Oct 1 and Dec 24, 2021. According to officials, Scott took three deer on Oct 1 and thought he was "tagged out" for the first week of archery season. Scott allowed two deer to deteriorate in three days, causing them to be rejected by the processor, according to DNR authorities. Scott, according to James, hunted without a license and at all hours of the day. According to the DNR, he utilized unlawful bait and got deer tags from other individuals to cover up his illegal deer, assuming he had tagged them at all.
RELATED ARTICLES
Who is Scott Kevin Meisterheim?
Scott Meisterheim is a textbook example of a ruined TV star. Scott, a former reality TV star, is now a criminal in Kalamazoo. He was charged with one count of failing to pay child support and one count of desertion/abandonment/non-support in a warrant that he eventually resolved. Scott now faces life in prison after the case of domestic abuse and sexual attacks on his wife reached Kalamazoo County court. So, what became of the former reality TV star?
Scott Meisterheim is a reality television actor, a carpenter, and a former deckhand and boat captain. He rose to prominence after appearing on the reality TV show 'Bering Sea Gold.' Scott played the villain in the series and expressed dissatisfaction with the way he was presented. He was frequently embroiled in fights with the cast and members of the production team.
Scott was born in the United States on July 8, 1968. Scott was born under the Cancer zodiac sign and hails from humble beginnings. Except for the fact that he grew up alongside his brother, nothing is known about Scott's early life. Scott worked as a carpenter and builder in Alaska before deciding to explore the sea. He eventually worked in the oil sector before traveling to the Bering Sea to look for gold.
When the preparations for the reality TV series 'Bering Sea Gold' were written up, Scott Meisterheim was the first name on the list. Scott, one of the most skilled miners in the industry, was assigned to the Wild Ranger. In the first season, he commanded the ship, but in the second season, he switched to Anchor Management. He led Anchor Management with the assistance of his best buddy Todd Allen. However, Scott and Todd's situation deteriorated when Todd departed the program midway through the season. Todd stated that Scott's drinking issue was why he left the program. As a result, Scott was admitted to rehab and spent the rest of the season there.
Scott's temper was most evident when he got into a confrontation with another captain, Veron Adkison. As a consequence, the cast and crew saw Scott as a nuance. His drinking habit exacerbated the situation, and the series was forced to let Scott depart. However, Scott's management claims that his departure from the program had nothing to do with his personality. And then went on to say that the network has previously shown all of Scott's narrative.
The showrunners never provided a formal explanation for his untimely departure. But it was evident from the start that greater things were on the way for Scott, who was offered a five-year deal earning $160,000 each year. Scott was on the show for three years, from 2012 to 2014, until being sacked at the end of season three. He has been charged with a variety of offenses over the years, and to make matters worse, his wife has filed a sexual assault and domestic abuse lawsuit against him.
Brushing with the law
Scott Meisterheim was charged in 2015 with one count of failing to pay child support and one count of desertion/abandonment/non-support. The allegations stemmed from $21,000 in child support owed by Scott to his ex-wife for the upkeep of their 17-year-old daughter. The court issued the warrant after Scott failed to pay the agreed-upon sum despite being in direct communication with the police.
On January 13, 2022, Scott Meisterheim was arraigned in Kalamazoo County District Court for the allegations brought against him by his wife. Scott was charged with domestic abuse and sexual assault in the first degree on his wife. The wife required medical assistance after Scott raped her vaginally, orally, anally, and at times with an object, as per Kalamazoo County Assistant Prosecutor Chelsea Huber.
Scott was arraigned again earlier this month in Kalamazoo County's 8th District Court. He's been charged with taking white-tailed deer outside permitted hunting hours, hunting white-tailed deer without a license, using another person's deer hunting license, taking an over-limit of antlered white-tailed deer, and transporting/possessing untagged antlered white-tailed deer. The DNR is seeking further penalties for using unlawful bait, failing to validate/attach kill tags quickly, and using another person's license.
Scott appeared in court again on Wednesday (Jan 25) for a pretrial hearing. "This is an excellent investigation of a poacher who shows no respect for the resource or the ethics of fair chase," stated DNR Law Enforcement Division Chief Dave Shaw. "Violations of this type deprive law-abiding people of their opportunity to have access to and enjoy a public trust natural resource, in this case, white-tailed deer."
Scott is expected to appear in court again in February.
'If I could kill more, I would,' the former reality star tells in his defense
Officer James Nason interrogated Scott while he was being detained at the Kalamazoo County Jail on charges of domestic abuse. "Sure, I love to kill deer," Scott said. "If I could kill more, I would, to be honest with you."
He "is not the most ethical hunter, tagging other people’s deer," he said to James. Scott stated that injured deer would occasionally wander up to his hunting spot and die. According to the DNR, he also hunted on other properties in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties without authorization. Scott is presently on probation in Kalamazoo County for severe domestic violence.