Category: Poachers

Boone and Crockett Club Research Identifies Dark Figure and Conservation Cost of Poaching in the U.S.

Media contact: Jodi Stemler, 703-915-1386, jstemler@boone-crockett.org

Missoula, Mont. –—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.” Read more

Poachers

Felony Warrants Issued for Michigan Father and Son for Wildlife Violations

Warrants for the arrest of a Michigan father and son have been issued following a series of wildlife violations in Treasure County.

Ronald Schubert and his son, Chad Schubert, both of Belleville, Mich., have each been charged with felony unlawful possession of a trophy bull elk. The son also has been charged with an additional felony for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, as well as four misdemeanor charges for hunting during a closed season, failure to obtain landowner permission for hunting, waste of a game animal, and violation of a commission or department rule for failure to return to a kill site. Ronald Schubert has also been charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass to property.

The investigation into the Schuberts began with information provided to Montana game wardens by the Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office. After extensive investigation, warden Kyle Queer found that Chad Schubert allegedly killed a trophy bull elk in Hunting District 702 without a valid permit. The elk also was taken on private land without permission, killed with a rifle during the archery-only season, and most of the meat was abandoned and left to waste in the field. Further investigation showed that Ronald Schubert was present at the time and allegedly assisted with removal and transport of the head and antlers. Read more

Poachers ,

AZGFD Seeks Public’s Help in Poaching of Seven Elk, Two Bighorn Sheep

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is seeking information about two separate poaching incidents in Game Management Unit 1 near Big Lake in the White Mountains.

    • July 20: Three cow elk were discovered shot and left to waste near the intersection of Forest Roads 249E and 24. AZGFD officials believe the incident took place around 8:15 p.m.
    • July 27: Four more elk — three cows and one bull — were discovered shot and left to waste off State Routes 273 and 261 near the turnoff to the campground at Big Lake. AZGFD officials believe the incident took place around 9:30 p.m. In addition, two bighorn sheep rams were discovered shot and left to waste that same day. The animals were found along Forest Road 249 near Three Forks, Ariz.

Read more

Poachers

Two Saint Maries Men Charged for Alleged Unlawful Take of Seven White-Tailed Deer in North Idaho

Thanks to a tip submitted through Fish and Game’s Citizens Against Poaching hotline about two suspicious deer heads, an investigation ensued that led to charges being filed.

Two Saint Maries men were charged on June 27 with 8 felonies related to the alleged unlawful take of seven mature white-tailed deer bucks. The investigation was conducted by Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers in the Panhandle Region and resulted in documentation of 56 wildlife violations. Alleged violations were reviewed and final felony charges filed by the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office.

It is alleged that all seven deer were illegally killed during Nov. 2024, and five of the seven deer were killed in a single 24-hour period. Three of the bucks were classified as trophy white-tailed deer, which carries higher penalties than a non-trophy classification.

All deer were taken outside of legal shootings hours, and the meat from three deer was left to waste.

Because the case remains open with only charges filed against the defendants, more information is not available at this time. Additional details will be released upon conclusion of the case.

Fish and Game thanks the public for being diligent in reporting potential wildlife crimes and helping to preserve, protect, perpetuate and manage the incredible fish and wildlife to which Idaho is home.

Anyone who observes or has information about any wildlife crime is encouraged to call the Citizen Against Poaching hotline at 1-(800) 632-5999. Information can also be reported online.

Citizens Against Poaching monetary rewards are available for individuals who provide credible, detailed information which significantly helps to identify person(s) involved and which leads to any relevant charges for a wildlife crime.

Information about potential wildlife crimes can also be reported to the Panhandle Regional Office at (208) 769-1414.

Poachers

Coeur d’Alene Man Convicted of Unlawful Killing of a Trophy Bull Elk in North Idaho

Thanks to a tip submitted through Fish and Game’s Citizens Against Poaching hotline, a Coeur d’Alene man was convicted of a felony for unlawfully taking wildlife.

Following a two-day jury trial on June 26 and 27 in Kootenai County, Coeur d’Alene resident, Joel Rose was convicted of a felony for the unlawful killing, possession or wasting of wildlife.

Rose illegally killed a trophy-class bull elk with a rifle during an archery-only season on Sept. 10, 2024. The elk was killed near Rose’s residence on private property in the Wolf Lodge area in Kootenai County.

The elk’s unique antler configuration made it an easily recognizable and well-known animal in the area that other hunters had pursued for several years. A Citizen’s Against Poaching tip led to the discovery of a 6.5 mm bullet that was recovered from the hide of the elk, which sparked the investigation.

Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers conducted a search warrant at Rose’s residence for the collection of evidence on Sept. 11, 2024. The investigation revealed that the elk had been killed by two lethal shots from a rifle, and that an arrow had been inserted into the carcass after the animal was already dead. Read more

Poachers

‘Find Your Edge: Long Range’ Shooting Accuracy

The Vortex Edge® team is bringing their “Fastest Route to Firearms Mastery” instruction to long-range shooting, and they want you to tune in to this online instructional series for free.

This is the second Find Your Edge video series, following Find Your Edge: Pistol 1. With new episodes dropping weekly through early August, “Find Your Edge: Long Range” is the perfect way for new shooters to break into long range shooting, and for more experienced shooters to brush up on technique. Covering everything from equipment and safety to drills that will sharpen your skills long after you finish the series, “Find Your Edge: Long Range” is live now.

What is Find Your Edge? Read more

Firearms, Poachers

Ohio Deer Poaching Case Ends with Guilty Pleas

Two Mississippi men pleaded guilty to multiple wildlife violations after poaching white-tailed deer in southeast Ohio and were ordered to pay a combined $15,054.37 in restitution, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Dawson Brown, 25, of Poplarville, Miss., pleaded guilty to seven charges in Belmont County Court related to unlawfully taking white-tailed deer. The charges include hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, hunting deer with a firearm during the archery season, hunting outside of legal shooting hours, possessing untagged deer parts, hunting without a nonresident hunting license, hunting without a nonresident deer permit, and spotlighting. Two of the antler sets were analyzed for trophy restitution and scored 166-2/8 and 154-5/8. Brown was ordered to pay $13,169.37 in restitution and $865 in fines and court costs, serve three years of probation, and forfeit his hunting privileges in Ohio for three years.

Five firearms, a spotlight, venison, and four antlered deer skulls were forfeited to the Division of Wildlife. Brown was sentenced to 390 days in jail, with all but 30 days suspended.

Jase D. Smith, 24, of Poplarville, Miss., pleaded guilty to four charges in Muskingum County Court. The charges were hunting without permission, hunting without a nonresident deer permit, hunting without a nonresident hunting license, and failing to game check a deer after harvest. He was ordered to pay $1,885 in restitution and $249.25 in fines and court costs, serve 30 days in jail, and forfeit his hunting privileges in Ohio for three years. A crossbow, spotlights, and deer mount were forfeited to the Division of Wildlife. Read more

Poachers ,

Volunteers needed to protect Michigan’s spawning sturgeon along Black River

April 7, 2025

Lake sturgeon in the Black River in Cheboygan County.Sturgeon For Tomorrow is seeking volunteers in Cheboygan County mid-April through early June to stand guard as mature lake sturgeon head upstream to their spawning sites along the Black River. The Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow is working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and various tribes to protect the fish from illegal harvest during the six-week spawning season.

Sgt. Mike Mshar, who leads DNR Law Enforcement Division’s efforts on the river, said, “This program, which protects this iconic species when they are most vulnerable, is a model of how agencies and the public can cooperate to get needed work accomplished.”

Volunteers are assigned shifts along the river to stand watch and report suspicious activity to the DNR conservation officers patrolling the area. The program also uses aerial surveillance for additional monitoring.

“For over 20 years, the annual Sturgeon Guarding Program has proven that people serving as sturgeon guards watching over the river have virtually eliminated poaching, while helping to ensure the protection and reproductive success of the species,” said Mary Paulson, the program’s volunteer coordinator. “It’s a unique and rewarding experience to witness these majestic fish swimming up the Black River, and to be a key player in safeguarding one of Michigan’s most valuable natural resources.”

While volunteers will be assigned sites to stand guard, there will be on-site coordinators at the river to assist and answer questions. Additionally, volunteers are asked to assist in recording the number of fish active in the area. Read more

Fishing, Poachers

Wildlife Assets to be Auctioned March 29-30 at AZGFD’s Outdoor Expo

Antlers, hides, skulls, mounts, artwork, and more will be in high demand

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will auction its inventory of wildlife assets at this weekend’s 2025 Outdoor Expo at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, about one-half of a mile west of Interstate 17 on Carefree Highway.

Antlers, hides, skulls and wildlife mounts, as well as wildlife artwork and taxidermy — seized through law enforcement investigations, obtained from animals killed in vehicle collisions, or acquired through public donations — will be sold Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30. Items can be purchased individually, by the pound, or through a silent auction (cash or credit card only). Read more

Poachers, Wildlife

Campground pay pipe thief headed to circuit court in Luce County (U.P. MI)

March 4, 2025

GW:  I spoke to the main ranger for campgrounds such as Ess Lake, Avery Lake and others in the northern Lower Peninsula about such crimes in his jurisdiction.  They got their man, too.  Surveillance cameras:  not just for hunting anymore.  Mr. Spitzley now becomes the most recent entry into my shameful “poachers” category.

An Eaton County man is scheduled for an upcoming circuit court appearance in Luce County on 13 charges, including a dozen felonies, stemming from an investigation into state forest campground pay pipe thefts that occurred over the past two years.

Justyn Mark Spitzley, 36, of Sunfield was arrested on a 13-count warrant and arraigned Feb. 14 in Luce County District Court. He is charged with felony larceny of $1,000 to $20,000, 11 felony counts of breaking and entering a coin-operated device and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license. Read more

Poachers
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