(TNS)

Master falconer Mike Dupuy faced down U.S. Fish and Wildlife authorities who took him to court this week for allegedly possessing goshawks illegally, and won.Audibly breathing a sigh of relief after the not-guilty verdict was issued by a federal judge following the day-long trial, the bird-of-prey expert also remained irate about the eight-month ordeal that threatened his reputation and cost him about $25,000."It was an unwarranted prosecution," said James Lister, Dupuy's Washington, D.C., attorney.At trial, the prosecution brought in three experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Pennsylvania Gaming Commission to testify against Dupuy."It was a ridiculous waste of resources. What was the conservational gain by putting the full weight of the U.S. legal system against me?" said Dupuy who relentlessly defended his actions as legal.He was charged last year with illegally removing goshawks from the wild for breeding purposes, even though he argued the permits he holds allow him to do so.Dupuy said he took the extra step of contacting state and federal officials to confirm that he was acting appropriately, a move he claims led to him being charged under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for allegedly possessing more raptors than allowed.A conviction carries a maximum of six months in prison and a $15,000 fine.Enthusiastic about working with raptors and educating people across the country about the birds, Dupuy was more concerned about his reputation and ability to continue working in the field."One of my passions is searching for goshawks in Pennsylvania," he said.Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC