Bigtime poaching bust in WY

[ShootsManyBullets]

Cheap, fast, and good?? We all know a combination of those 3 doesn’t exist in the world of business.

I can offer 2 out of 3 but never all 3.

 

[elkantlers]

There was a fella down in Texas who wrote a book on poaching, down to boots that had cow hooves so the ranch hands on the places where he trespassed would not find tracks.

These guys went to great lengths as well, mind boggling what horns/antlers do to people.

The African poachers you can at least somewhat understand as there is $ involved in the parts they sell but these guys likely just wanted them to hang on the wall.

The real interesting part was thousands of hours were put into this, wow. Glad they got such steep financial penalties.

Where can a guy get a pair of those boots in size 12ee? Asking for a friend, with big feet.

 

[PrairieHunter]

Where can a guy get a pair of those boots in size 12ee? Asking for a friend, with big feet.

 

[Jwill]

While we're talking about big time Wyoming poachers, let's not forget the Carters in Ten Sleep and Meateater’s “Director of Hunting” Ben O'Brien interviewing Mark Carter on The Hunting Collective podcast.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/media/content/Law%20Enforcement/Case%20File%20Briefs/9-Operation-10-Sleep-FINAL.pdf

Ep. 131: PETA’s Tofu Propaganda, the Trouble with Cancel Culture, and Pro Snowboarder Mark Carter Has Nothing to Hide | MeatEater Podcasts

On this week's show, the guys discuss PETA's new tofu propaganda campaign, usher in the return of Not So Sharp Moments, and learn that mocking liberal hunters is a good thing. Up next is an interview with Mark Carter. He’s a native of Ten Sleep, Wyoming, the son of a salt of the earth rancher...

www.themeateater.com

 

[lifesupport4u]

I don’t think the punishment is steep enough for how egregious these folks were.

 

[Nameless Range]

 

[ClearCreek]

It baffles me that residency can’t be verified in some manor. Especially with WY’s 6 month rule in place, this shouldn’t happen.

In order to legally obtain a resident Wyoming hunting or fishing license a person is required to continuously live in Wyoming for 365 days (one year) prior to purchasing or applying for said license.

The rule is not 6 months.

ClearCreek

 

[bullbugle307]

While we're talking about big time Wyoming poachers, let's not forget the Carters in Ten Sleep and Meateater’s “Director of Hunting” Ben O'Brien interviewing Mark Carter on The Hunting Collective podcast.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/media/content/Law%20Enforcement/Case%20File%20Briefs/9-Operation-10-Sleep-FINAL.pdf

Ep. 131: PETA’s Tofu Propaganda, the Trouble with Cancel Culture, and Pro Snowboarder Mark Carter Has Nothing to Hide | MeatEater Podcasts

On this week's show, the guys discuss PETA's new tofu propaganda campaign, usher in the return of Not So Sharp Moments, and learn that mocking liberal hunters is a good thing. Up next is an interview with Mark Carter. He’s a native of Ten Sleep, Wyoming, the son of a salt of the earth rancher...

www.themeateater.com

I was in Ten Sleep not long after they got busted. Folks there idolized the Carters still, when I brought up the poaching they mostly all said “we don’t like to talk about that”.

I guess I’ve never been afraid to be the turd in the punch bowl.

Edit: Forgot a fun fact…Brokeback Mountain took place at their place. I think the road going in their is still called Brokenback Lane or something like that…

 

[wyoboypt]

Seems like the game and fish needs to do a better job. Not trying to be an ass. But how did these guys never get checked?
I get checked all the freaking time, apparently while the bad guys are getting away with moose and sheep that I will never draw. It’s also irritating that some wardens are on a mission to “help out, work for, and brown nose” certain land owners and outfitters, instead of trying to catch these guys. Glad these guys got caught. But I’m not gonna say the g&f do a good job.

 

[Oak]

My grandpa is a lifelong WY resident and he’s drawn 6 bighorn tags and a couple moose tags in his 82 years of life. He’s always claimed that he has dirt on the governor but now I’m starting to question his story…

Depends on how far back. Sheep hunting resumed in CO in 1953 after being closed for 68 years. If you look at the harvest records for the first 15 years, some guys killed 3, 4, or even 5 rams. One gentleman killed 6 rams in 11 years.

 

[BuzzH]

Seems like the game and fish needs to do a better job. Not trying to be an ass. But how did these guys never get checked?
I get checked all the freaking time, apparently while the bad guys are getting away with moose and sheep that I will never draw. It’s also irritating that some wardens are on a mission to “help out, work for, and brown nose” certain land owners and outfitters, instead of trying to catch these guys. Glad these guys got caught. But I’m not gonna say the g&f do a good job.

Wardens are spread pretty thin and cover large geographic areas is one reason that these cases go on.

There is also a reluctance/ignorance of the public to report them...either they don't care or they don't know. Don't forget, a poacher is going out of their way to not be detected and again considering the remoteness of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, etc. that's pretty easy to do. The odds are, nobody is going to see anything to report, and even if they see something, many never make the call. Sometimes, even when people recognize poaching is going on, they don't report it for a variety of reasons...snitches get stitches, view it as no big deal, don't want to get involved, don't like confrontation, etc. etc. etc.

I do agree with you regarding wardens (some of them) spending wayyyyyyy too much time fielding landowner complaints rather than making broader patrols on public lands. IMO/E that has more to do with the specific areas a warden is responsible for as well as the Wardens priorities.

I know the warden where I hunt general elk stops by our camp and checks things every single year and IMO, does a great job.

 

[Oak]

As a CO resident, I've been checked more by wardens in WY than I have in CO.

Damn green plates...

 

[Nameless Range]

As a CO resident, I've been checked more by wardens in WY than I have in CO.

Damn green plates...

In Montana, there are 1.2 million acres per Warden. That's not at any given time either. Considering work schedules, it's probably more like an average of 1 warden per 4-5 million acres at any given time.

In 30 years of hunting, I have never been checked by a Warden in Montana, and I hunt more than the average person, just not in the hot spots Wardens focus on I guess.

 

[WildWill]

What a small world one of those guys is my junior high woodshop teachers brother.

 

[wytex]

Not much out about the poaching case in Saratoga right now..
Local rancher shot big buck with a rifle during archery season and was watched by 2 NR hunters on public land.
Plea agreement meeting again tomorrow.
Locals over there are not happy and watching closely how they treat this large LO.
He also had help from another local guy ion the take.

Saratoga poaching case: Defendant, prosecutors to meet again later this month | Bigfoot 99 Radio

By the way, Bigfoot is a great little radio station out of Saratoga, KTGA 99.3 fm.

 

[Watts307]

MSN

punishments should be way more for things like this.

 

[peterk1234]

Figured I would drop this here. I stumbled across Wardens on YouTube. Wow. And after finding this thread and understanding how much territory these guys are responsible for per person, its amazing how much illegal activity they come across. Not to mention the willingness to just let a bullet fly.

 

[howl]

How much of that could they have done legally with $300k plus a year's labor?