Ron Livermore (inset)
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks and in the case of one 77-year-old Washington man, the state’s Attorney General’s Office is taking one last attempt at getting their message across. In what officials are hoping will be (another) teachable moment, Ronald Albert Livermore of Riverside, Washington, has been sentenced to 43.5 months (3½ years) in prison following a guilty plea to seven felony charges related to illegal hunting and unlawful firearm possession. The sentence, handed down in Okanogan County, marks what is described as the longest agreed-upon recommendation for an illegal hunting case in the state in nearly a decade.
The crimes stem from incidents in 2023 and 2024 that took place in the scenic Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, a protected state-managed habitat in northern Okanogan County known for its mule deer populations, serene lakes, and rugged mountainous terrain.
According to investigators from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Livermore was observed driving at night through the area, using spotlights to illuminate and locate animals before recklessly firing into the woods at anything that moved. He employed small-caliber weapons unsuitable for humane big-game kills, engaged in illegal deer baiting to attract animals, and possessed homemade firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, in direct violation of prior court orders banning him from owning guns.
“Washington’s hunting laws maintain opportunities for hunters while ensuring that hunting is as safe, ethical, and sustainable as possible. Cases like this remind us why these laws exist,” said Attorney General Nick Brown. “We were happy to work with local law enforcement and the Department of Fish and Wildlife in this case to protect public safety and animal welfare.”
In the end, Livermore pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree, one count of unlawful hunting of big game in the first degree while armed with a firearm, one count of unlawful hunting of big game in the first degree, and one count of unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle.
And while this conviction might seem like enough to straighten this fellow out, let us not confuse him with some first-time yahoo who forgot his tag. Livermore's mile-long rap sheet dates back damn near 20 years, beginning in Oregon back in 2008 where he was convicted for poaching deer and wasting meat, all while running unlicensed suppressors. By 2016 he was put behind bars for three years for aggravated animal abuse, felon-in-possession of a firearm, more silencer nonsense and even suspected sexual abuse of wildlife in some incidents.
Not surprisingly, he ignored the lifetime firearms ban, ignored the hunting bans, and just about every other penalty that was hurled his way and kept going leading him to where he sits today.
Serial poachers like Livermore are tough to pin down at any age, but after 20 years of dodging consequences, the state may have finally turned the page. With over three years behind bars ahead of him, he'll be pushing 81 before tasting freedom again. But it’s still anyone’s guess as to whether this old dog will ever decide to trade his camo and illegal weapons for a golf cart and a simple ride off into the sunset.
