Category: Poachers

Pondera County, Montana Man Sentenced for Poaching Trophy Deer

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Photo courtesy of Montana. Fish, Wildlife and Parks

A Pondera County man has been sentenced to fines and license revocation for poaching a trophy white-tailed buck in 2025.

Tony Zimbelman, age 23, initially claimed to have shot the deer with archery equipment during archery season. Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, Montana game wardens contacted Zimbelman who admitted to shooting the deer with a rifle on the day before the archery season opened in September 2025. The deer was a large buck with a Boone & Crockett score of 182.

On March 23, 2026, Zimbelman reached a plea agreement in Montana Ninth Judicial Court for Misdemeanor Unlawful Possession of Wildlife, and was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended, along with fines and restitution totaling $3,000. His hunting, fishing and trapping privileges were also revoked for two years.

“This case came about because of an initial tip from a concerned sportsman, and the assistance and support from people like that are incredibly valuable to us,” said game warden sergeant Mike Krings who led the investigation. “Private citizens act as extra eyes and ears in the field for game wardens and help us preserve fair chase opportunities for the vast majority of Montana hunters who do things the right way.” Read more

Poachers

DNR Seeks Tips About Dead Eagles in Delta County

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Michigan DNR conservation officers are requesting assistance with any information regarding five deceased eagles that were located in Delta County’s Garden Peninsula April 3-17. Anyone with information is asked to contact the DNR’s Report All Poaching Hotline by calling or texting 800-292-7800. Tipsters may remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials are hoping someone can shed light on a recent series of deceased eagles in the Upper Peninsula’s Garden Peninsula – a piece of land that extends south from Delta County and is bordered by Big Bay de Noc to the west and Lake Michigan to the east.

Five bald eagles were found dead in a single area between April 3 and April 17.

“The DNR is requesting tips from the public to help solve this ongoing investigation,” said 1st Lt. Mark Zitnik, DNR Law Enforcement supervisor in Newberry. “We can confirm that the eagles did not die from natural causes, predators or vehicle collisions.”

Tipsters who provide information leading to the arrest and prosecution of any individuals may be eligible for a cash reward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the DNR’s Report All Poaching Hotline by calling or texting 800-292-7800. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Eagles are a state and federally protected species. In addition to court costs, state penalties include:

  • 90-day misdemeanor.
  • Fines ranging from $100 to $1,000 per eagle.
  • Reimbursement of $1,500 per eagle.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local tribes are assisting the DNR with this investigation. Read more

Poachers, Wildlife

Michigan Jury finds Macomb County man guilty of fishing on revoked license

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Lake St. Clair ice fishingA Macomb County man with a history of Michigan Department of Natural Resources violations will spend 30-180 days in jail after being found guilty of two license violations.

37, of Washington Township, was sentenced March 10 in St. Clair County’s 72nd District Court for fishing without a license and fishing while licenses were revoked.

The penalty was increased to a habitual offender, due to Dermyer’s previous DNR violations within the past five years, which include:

  • Possessing an overlimit of perch.
  • Taking deer without a license.
  • Failure to possess an unused kill tag while deer hunting.
  • Possessing/transporting deer without an attached/validated kill tag.
  • Failure to attach a validated (deer) kill tag.

“Habitual offenders are not only stealing resources, but they also create a bad name for the law-abiding majority of hunters and anglers,” said Chief Brandon Kieft, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “The DNR appreciates the support from the St. Clair County court system in recognizing Mr. Dermyer’s repeated history of DNR offenses.”

In December, a Michigan DNR conservation officer contacted Dermyer while he was ice fishing on Lake St. Clair. Dermyer was unable to present a valid fishing license due to his fishing (and hunting) license being revoked until Jan. 1.

Dermyer received two citations — fishing without a license and fishing while ineligible for licenses — which were submitted to the St. Clair County prosecutor.

The DNR offered a plea deal to drop one of the charges, which Dermyer declined. He advanced to court in February, where a jury found him guilty of both charges.

Dermyer’s sentence included the following additional penalties:

  • $2,980 in court costs and fines.
  • $20 reimbursement to the State of Michigan for conservation fees.
  • Revoked fishing license for an additional seven years.

Michigan’s new fishing license and regulation season begins Wednesday, April 1. The 2026 fishing licenses are available for purchase now and are valid through March 31, 2027. Get more information about licenses, regulations, locations to fish and more at Michigan.gov/Fishing.

Fishing, Poachers

Montana: Reward Increased to $31K for Information on Wolf Killed Out of Season

GARDINER – The monetary reward has increased for information on a wolf that was killed illegally near Gardiner last month.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks initially offered a $1,000 reward for information. The Large Carnivore Fund and Wolves of the Rockies together have offered an additional $30,000.

The investigation began when officials received a mortality signal from a collared wolf in the Jardine area. They found the collar had been cut off and thrown into a tree, but they did not find a wolf carcass.

This area is in wolf management unit 313, which closed to wolf hunting on Nov. 16. However, game wardens believe the collared wolf was killed around 10 p.m. on Dec. 25. No further details are available.

Anyone with possible information is encouraged to visit tipmont.mt.gov to provide details.

Poachers

Multiple People Convicted of Wildlife Crimes in Southwest Wyoming

An 8-year investigation recently wrapped up in Sweetwater County on Sep. 26 when Sean Thomas of Farson was sentenced on multiple wildlife charges. The charges stemmed from an investigation into making false statements to procure Wyoming resident licenses, and the illegal take of black bears, pronghorn, deer, elk and other wildlife in southwest Wyoming when Thomas and his family moved to Wyoming in 2014.

Wyoming Game Wardens initially learned of illegal activity committed by Thomas, operating under Great Basin Outfitters, and his family in 2017 while investigating unrelated wildlife crimes. The investigation began in earnest from 2018 and continued through July 15, 2021 when Wyoming Game Wardens working with their counterparts in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Utah executed search warrants and interviewed numerous individuals associated with committing wildlife crimes in Wyoming.

Following the execution of search warrants in July 2021, game wardens continued their investigation and uncovered dozens of wildlife crimes committed by Thomas, members of his family, Michael Jordan and his sons from Stillwater, Minnesota and friends of Thomas from Utah. Following are those who were charged and convicted of wildlife crimes in Wyoming: Read more

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North Dakota Man Charged with Poaching Elk in Fergus County

A North Dakota man has been charged in Fergus County District Court with a series of wildlife violations centering around the killing of two bull elk in November 2024.

The man is accused of multiple misdemeanor and felony charges after an investigation by Montana game wardens showed that he allegedly killed two bull elk in Hunting District 417 without possessing a proper permit. He later hid and abandoned one elk carcass after being questioned by game wardens, and he was unable to retrieve the carcass of another bull elk after killing it on private land. He is also accused of driving off-road on state land.

No further details about the investigation are available at this time.

Potential penalties for the violations include more than $60,000 in fines and restitution, jail time, and loss of privileges to hunt, fish and trap. Persons accused of a crime are presumed to be innocent until their guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone with possible information about crimes against fish, wildlife or state land resources is encouraged to visit tipmont.mt.gov or to contact a game warden in your area directly. You may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Poachers

Whitetails Unlimited Offers Whitetail Watch Signs

Whitetail Watch is an anti-poaching initiative created by Whitetails Unlimited to improve hunter/landowner relations and reduce the crime of poaching. To curb this illegal activity, participating landowners will post Whitetail Watch signs on their property. These signs will serve as visible reminders to poachers that citizens are on the watch and suspicious activity will be reported to the wildlife law enforcement.

Whitetail Watch property signs are made from PVC, measuring 11.25 inches on a side, and are white with red and black printing. Decals matching the sign, measuring 3.5 inches on a side, are also available. The signs and decals are suitable for use anywhere in the United States.

The recommended posting distance for Whitetail Watch signs is one sign for every 300 feet of road frontage or four signs per 40 acres.

To order complimentary Whitetail Watch signs or decals, please call Whitetails Unlimited National Headquarters at 920.743.6777 or send an email to nh@whitetailsunlimited.com. Read more

Hunting, Poachers

Montana: Six Men Sentenced in Musselshell County Poaching Case

BILLINGS – Six men from Montana and Washington have pled guilty in Musselshell County Justice Court to unlawfully killing bull elk and mule deer bucks near Roundup. They have been sentenced to a combined total of $22,890 in fines, and license revocations totaling 28 years.

The investigation began with information provided to Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) wardens by a confidential informant. After an extensive investigation, wardens found that the group of both residents and nonresidents killed several large bull elk in Hunting District 590 without the required elk permit and also killed several large mule deer without hunting licenses. The violations occurred between 2020 and 2024.

During the investigation, Montana wardens worked with wardens in Washington State who seized several mounts of unlawfully killed elk and deer. Montana wardens also seized multiple elk and deer mounts in Montana. In total, 11 mounts were seized as evidence in the investigation, and a total of 34 charges and 13 warnings were issued by FWP wardens. Read more

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Boone and Crockett Club Research Identifies Dark Figure and Conservation Cost of Poaching

September 8, 2025
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At a press conference held in Washington, DC, today, the Boone and Crockett Club announced the findings of the most comprehensive research project on poaching in this country. Using a Bayesian statistical framework, the Poach and Pay research determined that only about 4% of poaching incidents are detected. Setting a conservative estimate of what criminologists refer to as the “Dark Figure” of crimes that are undetected or unreported at 95%, the research found that the minimum conservation cost of poaching through lost fines and replacement costs for animals is $1.4 billion annually. The research also outlines the results of detailed interviews with stakeholders, typologies of poachers, barriers to prosecution of wildlife crime, and outlines specific actions that can be taken to reduce the amount of poaching in this country. The Boone and Crockett Club and partners will continue the Poach and Pay project to implement these actions with the goal of reducing the Dark Figure of poaching.

“We have long known that poaching is a major problem in the United States, but we didn’t truly understand the magnitude of the problem until this Poach and Pay research,” noted Boone and Crockett Club chief executive officer Tony A. Schoonen in his comments at the press conference. “With this defensible assessment of the Dark Figure, we can clearly describe the conservation cost of poaching and prove that poaching is not a victimless crime—not only do we lose individual wildlife, we are also losing a valuable public resource with a high cost.”

The Poach and Pay research involved extensive surveys of fish and wildlife agency law enforcement officers, hunters, landowners, and convicted poachers, as well as interviews and focus groups with prosecutors and judges. Read more

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