GILLETTE, Wyo. — Three individuals will pay thousands in fines and restitution following the successful prosecution of a 2021 mountain lion poaching case, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Per Game and Fish, two individuals lost their hunting privileges — one for five years and the other for 10 — in addition to all three paying $7,330 in fines and $6,000 in restitution for illegally taking a mountain lion in the Laramie Region in December 2021.
The case began after a Saratoga game warden received a report stating individuals were trespassing on private property near Saratoga to hunt mountain lions. The warden was able to locate the offenders based on descriptions provided by the reporting party, Game and Fish says.
An investigation revealed one member of the hunting party had harvested a mountain lion with a proper license, but had crossed onto private property to harvest the animal and had not properly validated their hunting license, per Game and Fish.
Initially, the hunter was cited for trespassing and warned for failing to properly tag the animal. The hunter was fined $450 after pleading guilty to the trespassing charge, according to Game and Fish.
As the investigation continued, the warden learned another member of the hunting party harvested a mountain lion without a license and that a third member of the party falsely claimed the animal was harvested under their license, Game and Fish says. The third individual was also found to have run a mountain lion with hounds without possessing a valid license.
The second individual was cited for intentionally taking a mountain lion without a license and for being an accessory to the illegal transfer of a license. Earlier this year, that individual pled guilty and was fined $6,750, per Game and Fish.
Additionally, the third individual pled guilty to hunting on private land without permission, taking a mountain lion without a license, transferring a license and being an accessory to the illegal taking of a mountain lion, according to Game and Fish, which says the individual was sentenced to pay $6,130 in fines and restitution.
As the 2023 hunting season gets underway, Game and Fish asks recreators to report suspected wildlife crimes.
“Without tips from the public, many wildlife crimes would go undetected,” Game and Fish says. “Tips can be reported by phone, text, or online, and reporters can choose to remain anonymous.”
