Tag: Crime

Poacher kills one of Montana’s rarest critters; probe launched

Authorities in Montana are seeking public assistance in identifying the person responsible for the illegal killing of a wolverine.

Authorities in Montana are seeking public assistance in identifying the person responsible for illegally killing a wolverine.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks on Thursday said the wolverine carcass was discovered Nov. 10 on U.S. Forest Service Road 7377, northwest of Wisdom.

The animal had been shot, skinned, and left to rot.

Wolverines, described by Fish, Wildlife & Parks as “one of Montana’s rarest animals,” are protected and cannot be legally hunted or trapped.

The stout mammals, which inhabit mostly remote, high-altitude regions of Alaska, Canada, and the northwest continental U.S., are elusive and encounters are rare.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Their populations and movements are poorly understood, but studies have shown that they roam long distances while expanding home ranges.

Wolverines are almost bear-like in appearance and can be ferocious. Fish, Wildlife & Parks states on its website: “Some describe a wolverine as an animal with a thousand pounds of attitude in a 30-pound body.”

According to the National Wildlife Federation, resident populations exist in Alaska, Canada and Russia, as well as Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and a small portion of Oregon.

A wolverine sighting in Yellowstone National Park early last March generated lots of excitement because sightings in the park are so rare.

Wisdom is located about 200 miles northwest of Yellowstone.

–Generic wolverine images courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Four men forced to pay $71,000 for killing four endangered species

They were hunting at Tom Steed Reservoir in Oklahoma when committing their wildlife crimes. They also forfeited guns and hunting privileges.

Four men in Oklahoma were ordered to each pay $17,000 in restitution and a $750 fine for killing four endangered whooping cranes, a migratory bird for which there is no season.

Joseph H. Roman, 43, and Justin M. Wine, 40, of Altus, Chanod M. Campbell, 32, of Gould, and Brian Lee Gollihare Jr., 35, of Hollis, were hunting at Tom Steed Reservoir in southwest Oklahoma on or about Nov. 5, 2021 when the wildlife crimes occurred, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Oklahoma.

They attempted to hide the birds before leaving the scene.

“This is a great example of state and federal agencies working closely together throughout the investigation,” said Nathan Erdman, Law Enforcement Chief for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “The outstanding ODWC Game Wardens were tireless in tracking down leads and in their collection of key evidence that led to this outcome.

“Rest assured that those committing wildlife violations in Oklahoma will be caught thanks to thorough investigations like this along with tips from the public.”

All four defendants pleaded guilty and, at sentencing hearings last week, they learned of their financial penalties. Plus, they were ordered to forfeit their shotguns and lost their hunting privileges in all 50 states for the next 5 years.

The $68,000 total in restitution will be paid to the International Crane Foundation.

The whooping crane, protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, is the rarest of birds in North America and is highly endangered with less than 600 in the wild. It is the tallest bird in North America, reaching a height of 5 feet with a wingspan of more than 7 feet.

“Each of us bears responsibility to protect endangered wildlife so that the species is preserved for future generations,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Troester. “My office stands with and commends the work done by our federal and state law enforcement partners, and we hope this case serves as a warning for those who would harm endangered species.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation investivated the case, and it was prosecuted by Asst. U.S. Attorney Charles Brown.

Photos courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

More than $100K of maintenance equipment stolen from Soldier Field

What else could go wrong for the Bears this week?

The hits keep on coming for the Chicago Bears this week. According to a manager at Soldier Field, approximately $100,000 worth of equipment was stolen sometime Wednesday night. The news was first reported by ABC7 Chicago.

The manager said the stolen equipment includes John Deere Gator utility vehicles and lawnmowers used to prepare the field. The equipment was taken from one of the parking structures at the stadium, and the thieves took down a security fence to drive the mowers and Gators out of the garage. According to ESPN, the equipment was the property of a contractor and not the Bears. The equipment has yet to be located.

The Bears haven’t played at Soldier Field since their Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 10. They’re playing another away game this week when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs, so fortunately the stolen equipment won’t make an impact. They return to the lakefront next week to take on the Denver Broncos.

It’s just another odd story to add to the growing list of issues facing the Bears this week. After their Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago has been in the media for everything under the sun. First there were comments made by Justin Fields regarding the coaching staff that gained traction. Then there was the sudden resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams, about which nobody at Halas Hall can speak. And now equipment has been stolen at the stadium.

What else can go wrong for the Bears this week? We probably shouldn’t ask that because, at this point, anything can happen.

Another walleye fishing tourney marred by cheating scandal

Another fishing tournament is in the spotlight because of a cheating scandal – this time involving Lake Erie walleye that had allegedly been stuffed with smaller fish to make them appear heavier.

Another fishing tournament is in the spotlight because of a cheating scandal – this time involving Lake Erie walleyes that had allegedly been stuffed with smaller fish to make them heavier.

Peter Smith, 57, a competitor at the Bart’s Cove Walleye Duel July 29-30 in Dunkirk, N.Y., was disqualified after director Mark Mohr discovered that two of Smith’s walleyes appeared to have been stuffed with smaller fish.

One contained a 12-inch walleye with its tail portion removed. Another contained a fully intact white perch. Both smaller fish had lip holes, indicating that they had recently been caught.

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Mohr told Outdoor Life: “The 12-inch walleye, it looked to me like they tried to stuff it and it wouldn’t go down, so they cut the last three inches off. It was suspicious because the fish was still really bright, and then I picked it up and could see a hook mark in its lip.”

Smaller fish that were found stuffed inside tournament walleyes. Photo: Mark Mohr/Facebook

Grand prize for the event, which boasted a field of more than 30 teams, was an all-inclusive Panama fishing trip valued at $14,500.

The incident is under investigation, at the request of tournament organizers, by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Folks might recall that two men were sentenced to 10 days in jail in May after being found guilty of felony charges stemming from their actions during a walleye tournament on Lake Erie in October 2022.

The men were found to have stuffed lead weights into fish they had caught.

–Images courtesy of Mark Mohr/Facebook

Poachers in Florida nabbed with gross over limits of lobster

Three fishermen were cited in Florida on Wednesday after they were caught in possession of 102 lobsters over the legal limit.

A sad reality in fishing is that some people exhibit blatant disregard for regulations designed to protect resources.

That appears to have been the case Wednesday in Florida, when officers cited three fishermen for possessing 102 lobsters over the legal limit.

The bust might not have occurred had the fishermen not been flying a dive flag while they were underway. (Dive flags should only be flown when divers are in the water.)

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“On the first day of the two-day mini-season, our officers saw a commercial vessel with a dive flag flying while the boat was underway,” Florida Fish and Wildlife explained in a news release. “Stopping the vessel to speak to the operator about the incorrect use of the dive flag, they conducted a routine fisheries inspection, discovering a total of 138 lobsters!”

The fishermen were cited and the poached lobsters, which had perished, were collected as evidence in a case that remains under investigation.

The mini-season Florida Fish and Wildlife referred to was the Spiny Lobster Sport Season conducted Wednesday and Thursday.

–Image courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 

Man cited after landing helicopter to picnic in Grand Teton NP

A pilot has been cited after an unauthorized helicopter landing on a lake shore in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. He had hoped to picnic with a companion.

A pilot has been cited after an unauthorized landing on a lake shore in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.

Peter Smith, owner of West Elk Air in Gunnison, Colo., landed the aircraft at Moran Bay on Jackson Lake on June 24. He and a companion were picnicking when they were greeted by rangers.

The park stated in a news release that Smith had violated FAA regulations and was charged with two misdemeanors that carry fines up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail.

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The park elaborated: “The unauthorized landing of helicopters is prohibited on the lands and waters within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park in order to protect wildlife and other natural resources and to preserve the visitor experience.”

Four months earlier, Smith was cited for flying an airplane at an unsafe altitude in Gunnison National Park. He was fined $530.

His court date for the Grand Teton National Park case is scheduled for August.

Nonresident Idaho hunter kills protected grizzly bear

A nonresident Idaho hunter is at the center of an investigation after he shot and killed a protected grizzly bear that he mistook for a black bear.

A nonresident Idaho hunter is at the center of an investigation after he shot and killed a protected grizzly bear that he mistook for a black bear.

The incident occurred June 8 north of Upper Priest Lake in the Panhandle Region.

According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the hunter reported his error soon after inspecting his kill and identifying the bear as a grizzly.

The hunter is said to be cooperating with the investigation.

Courtesy IDFG

Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal law. Hunters are responsible for knowing the difference between grizzly bears and black bears. (See the accompanying chart.)

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On May 1 near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, a hunter killed a grizzly bear in another apparent case of mistaken identity.

Patrick M. Gogerty, 65, of Cody, Wyo., left the bear carcass alongside the North Fork Highway. Images of the carcass went viral before Gogerty turned himself in the next morning.

He was was charged with killing a protected grizzly bear without a proper license and faces up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine (plus restitution).

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Grand Teton launches probe after bison calf is harassed in park

Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park is asking the public for help in identifying two men who were photographed harassing a bison calf.

Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park is asking the public for help in identifying two men who were photographed harassing a bison calf.

A park news release states that the men were spotted approaching and touching the baby bison Sunday at about 1 p.m.

The news release contains the following advisory:

“If you were in the Elk Ranch Flats area on the afternoon of June 4, and have information that could help in this investigation, or if you know who these individuals are (pictured), please call the park Tip Line 307-739-3367. If you see any harassment of wildlife happening in the park, you may also call the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307-739-3301 to report the incident.”

Grand Teton National Park is hoping somebody can ID these men.

Park regulations require tourists to remain at least 25 yards from bison.

The same rule is in effect in Yellowstone National Park, just to the north, where more than 5,000 bison reside.

ALSO: Yellowstone guide saves motorist from momma grizzly bear’s wrath

Bison give birth to calves early each spring. They’re commonly referred to as “red dogs” because their coats are reddish in the first several weeks of their lives.

Approaching or touching bison is considered harassment. Grand Teton National Park explained:

“Interference by people can cause wildlife to reject their offspring. In this case, fortunately, the calf was successfully reunited with its herd, but often these interactions result in euthanizing the animal. Approaching wildlife can drastically affect their well-being and survival.”

–Top image showing a “red dog” bison is courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Details emerge regarding robbery of two Browns players over the weekend

New details emerged on Tuesday regarding the robbery of two Browns players over the weekend

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New details have emerged regarding crimes committed against two Cleveland Browns over the weekend.

Defensive back Greg Newsome II and lineman Perrion Winfrey were the victims of an armed robbery by six masked men early on Monday morning. Neither were harmed during the incident but, according to ESPN, the suspects left the scene in Newsome’s vehicle with stolen jewelry in tow.

Running back Demetric Felton also had his car stolen over the weekend, though preliminary reports haven’t indicated that he was present at the time of the theft.

It is worth noting that quarterback Deshaun Watson was the victim of car theft earlier in the year, and at this time it is unclear whether any of these incidents are related.

News about the spate of crimes came on Tuesday just before the Browns reported to Berea for Cleveland’s mandatory minicamp. Developments in the story are sure to follow, so stay tuned to Browns Wire for all the facts about this regrettable incident.