Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Working with multiple search warrants, WFF Enforcement was able to recover contraband, firearms, ammunition and antlers from illegally harvested deer. Photo courtesy of WFF
Countless hours of investigation involving multiple agencies earlier this year culminated in guilty pleas from a flagrant violator of numerous Alabama wildlife laws. Read more
Two men from Harrison were convicted of multiple hunting violations in Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin counties.
Jeremy Michael Hill and Ryan Francis McGuire faced several charges after the two men were found to have killed multiple deer illegally over several years.
Game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks conducted a yearlong investigation into Hill and McGuire following a report from a concerned witness about a wasted whitetail buck found in Hill’s possession. The investigation revealed evidence that Hill, over a three-year period, killed multiple antlered deer each year. Hill also used hunting licenses issued to family members to tag illegally harvested deer.
McGuire aided and abetted Hill as they hunted deer from a vehicle after legal shooting hours.
Their charges included unlawful possession of a game animal, hunting or killing overlimit on deer, unlawful hunting from a public highway, unlawful hunting from a vehicle, unlawful use of equipment while hunting (spotlighting), waste of a game animal, failure to obtain landowner permission for hunting, and failing to validate a general deer license.
Hill was sentenced to a 36-month hunting and fishing privilege suspension and fines totaling $2,980. McGuire was sentenced to a 24-month privilege suspension and fines totaling $670. Montana is part of the interstate wildlife violator compact where violators who lose privileges in one state lose them in all 50 states. Read more
July 27, 2026
Contact: 1st Lt. Richard Nickols, 517-284-4747
Thomas House, 26, was arraigned Thursday, July 23, in 65A District Court in St. Johns on 50 counts of combined firearm and wildlife violations.
House lived in Elsie when the violations occurred and now resides in St. Johns.
The Clinton County man was charged with:
“This case demonstrates the importance of the public’s partnership with conservation officers,” said Capt. David Malloch, DNR Law Enforcement Division supervisor. “A tip to the Report All Poaching hotline, combined with the officers’ thorough and lengthy investigation, helped hold an individual accountable for their actions that showed a blatant disregard for wildlife and hunting laws. We encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious natural resources activity to report it immediately. We all play a role in protecting our natural resources.”
Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers received a tip through the DNR’s Report All Poaching Hotline Oct. 13, 2025, regarding a person shooting deer from a vehicle at night using a suppressed semiautomatic rifle.
The tip stated that the illegal hunting activity occurred multiple times in northern Clinton County and southern Gratiot County.
Conservation officers conducted a lengthy investigation, which included interviews and search warrants issued by the Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation confirmed that between April 25, 2025, and Nov. 25, 2025, House would drive around at night, shining and shooting deer from his vehicle and then leaving the deer to rot, unharvested.
Additionally, House used his cellphone to record several videos and photographs of himself shooting and killing the deer, along with the deer lying on the ground. Read more
On May 11, the final sentencing was issued for one of three individuals involved in the unlawful killing of seven mature white-tailed deer bucks in North Idaho during November 2024.
The individuals involved in the case were Will Clark, Lucas Mitchell and Laura Willis.
Sentencing for Mitchell (Feb. 2026) included:
Sentencing for Clark (April 2026) included:
Sentencing for Willis (May 2026) included:
Details of the case Read more
Information provided by concerned citizens has led to multiple poaching and criminal charges after an extensive investigation conducted by Indiana Conservation Officers.
In December 2025, Indiana Conservation Officers received a report alleging that Woodrow Snyder, 28, of Charlestown, had been shooting multiple deer at night from a motor vehicle.
On the morning of Dec. 18, 2025, Clark County Sheriff’s Deputies and Indiana Conservation Officers responded to a complaint of shots fired. Officers conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck driven by Snyder. Inside the truck, officers discovered multiple dead deer, and several discarded firearms were located along the roadside. Snyder’s passenger was arrested at the scene, and the vehicle was seized as evidence.
Over the following weeks, Indiana Conservation Officers executed several search warrants, collected extensive physical and digital evidence, and conducted numerous interviews with witnesses and suspects. The investigation revealed evidence indicating that Snyder, with the assistance of several accomplices, allegedly killed more than 30 white-tailed deer during the 2025 fall and winter seasons.
After officers submitted their findings, the Clark and Jefferson County prosecutor’s offices issued warrants for Snyder’s arrest. He was taken into custody on June 4, and booked into the Clark County Jail.
Snyder is facing the following charges:
• Obstruction of Justice (Level 6 Felony)
• Illegal Sale of Wildlife (Level 6 Felony)
• Unlawful Taking of Deer (Class B Misdemeanor)
• Jacklighting (Class C Misdemeanor)
• Hunting Without a License (Class C Misdemeanor)
• Hunting with the Aid of a Motor Vehicle (Class C Misdemeanor)
• Hunting Without Consent of a Landowner (Class C Misdemeanor) Read more
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
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:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local tribes are assisting the DNR with this investigation. Read more
A 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:
“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:
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.
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.
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