Bobcat hunters can set traps this winter in five local Indiana counties.
Indiana’s Natural Resources Commission has approved a bobcat trapping season in 40 southern Indiana counties, including Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland.
The season will run from Nov. 8 to Jan. 31. Licensed trappers will be allowed to harvest one bobcat per year, up to a statewide maximum of 250 bobcats. State lawmakers mandated the department formulate rules for a trapping season in 2024. The rules are currently awaiting final signatures from Gov. Mike Braun and Attorney General Mike Rokita.
“There’s a lot of us super excited about it. We’ve been having to release these animals for years,” said Indiana State Trappers Association Board member Nick Erny, while advocating for the trapping season.
He expects the bag limit will be increased in the coming years.
While the Indiana DNR says the bobcat population is sufficient to prevent threats of extinction, Indiana Public Broadcasting reports critics, like Samantha Chapman with Humane World for Animals, argue there isn’t adequate population data. That, she said, contradicts science-based wildlife conservation.
Jack Sutton is executive director of the Oak Heritage Conservancy, which manages 15 nature preserves across southeast Indiana, including its largest, Hilltop Preserve, in West Harrison, Ind., just across the state line from Ohio. He says the conservancy has spotted bobcats on its trail cameras at some locations.
“Bobcats are a phenomenal success story,” he says. “They were listed on the state’s endangered species list in 1969 but in 2005 they were de-listed. In the past 20 years, their population has grown. The fact that DNR is taking steps to add them to the [list of] animals that are permitted to be trapped — I think it demonstrates how the population has grown and is doing quite well.”
That said, he doesn’t expect the conservancy will allow trapping on its lands.
Could this affect Ohio’s bobcat population?
Sutton suggests it might be a good idea to study how trapping in Indiana may or may not affect the bobcat population in Ohio.
Bobcats are native to Ohio but were extirpated from the state by the 1850s, meaning while they weren’t extinct, there weren’t any here. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports the wild cat species began repopulating in the mid-1900s, but sightings are more frequent in the southern and eastern parts of the state.
“There’s probably some bobcats coming in from from the west through Indiana,” says Wildlife Management Supervisor Brett Beatty of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Wildlife Division’s District 5. “Honestly, there’s no way to know just how much [trapping in Indiana] would impact our population directly, especially as our populations get more established here and have their own territories.”
He says it’s uncertain if hunting in those Indiana counties near Ohio could force bobcats to extend their territories into Ohio.
“I have full confidence in Indiana DNR to continue to monitor their population through their research and harvest data, and then we can see the results, and we’ll get a good feel for what’s happening over there,” he adds. “Through our sightings and reports that we receive — particularly on the border counties there — we can do a little side-by-side and see if there’s any impact.”
The most recent report from the state, dated September 2023, states the Division of Wildlife had 561 confirmed sightings of bobcats in 2021. Sightings are largely confirmed using trail or security cameras and roadkill reports.
Bobcats have been confirmed in 81 of Ohio’s 88 counties, including all counties in southwest Ohio. Warren County was the most recent to join the list, with the first confirmed sighting coming in 2021.
A 2023 report from researchers at Ohio University concluded the state’s bobcat population could withstand limited harvesting. It noted a high level of monitoring would be required to ensure the population remained stable.
More about bobcats
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, bobcats are generally solitary creatures. They eat rabbits, hares, rodents (squirrels, woodrats, mice, voles), deer, and less commonly, birds, reptiles, insects, and eggs.
Beatty says bobcats present minimal risk to your household pets.
“Typically, the only interactions I see would be folks with poultry, whether it be backyard chickens or ducks or something like that, that sometimes get predated by bobcats. Folks [should] make sure their pen is sound, that nothing can get in or they can’t get out, just doing good husbandry practice with your backyard birds,” he says.
They breed year-round, though most usually from December to May. Offspring born in the spring and summer are usually ready to head out on their own by fall or winter. The animals can weigh 15-30 pounds and be about 30-50 inches long, with short tails of about 4-5 inches.
Awoman in Wyoming was hospitalized in February after contracting avian influenza H5N1 from exposure through her backyard chicken flock. However, human infections from backyard poultry are generally rare.
Avian flu can spread from birds to people through direct contact with infected birds, touching contaminated surfaces or inhaling the virus. Many infected birds do not show symptoms but remain contagious. Avian flu can also spread to dairy cattle, pigs, goats, cats and dogs.
As of February, Colorado had seen 10 human cases of bird flu since May 2024. Nine came from workers exposed to commercial chicken farms and the last from a dairy farm.
Nationwide, there have been 70 human cases of bird flu with one fatal case. There is no known human-to-human transmission, with most human cases seen in farm workers in contact with infected cattle and poultry. General risk of avian flu to the public remains low.
Bird flu was detected in 11 pet cats — both indoor and outdoor — the Colorado Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.
Only one of those cats survived the infection. Domestic cats appear to be highly susceptible to Avian Influenza, which is why infections often result in death.
The bird flu cases in Colorado cats were linked to eating both raw pet food and raw poultry.
To mitigate any further exposure, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommends against pet owners feeding raw poultry products to their domestic cats. Take extra precautions when handling raw pet food or raw poultry by washing hands and disinfecting surfaces those products touch.
“That was a blessing from God,” said Glace Rone of Kosciusko. “You don’t see turkeys like that where I’m from.
“I’ve hunted my whole life, and I’ve heard about them, but I’ve never seen one. It’s like hunting a unicorn.”
Rone said the bird showed up in trail camera photos during the 2024-25 deer season and not just on the property that Rone was hunting. Rone said the bird had also been seen on surrounding properties.
“He’d been seen on a 4-mile stretch, so you can imagine how many people were after him,” Rone said. “I hated to kill such a beautiful animal. That’s God’s creation, but several other people were trying to kill him.”Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
And hunters likely weren’t the only ones after the bird. Being white, he lacked the camouflage of normal coloration, making him more susceptible to becoming prey.
“We have bobcats,” Rone said. “We have coyotes. We have hawks. Seeing him is just a miracle.”
Rone was in the woods before daylight. He said it was a pleasant morning, but severe weather was on the way.
“I’d planned to sit through it,” Rone said. “I’d brought snacks and drinks. I’d planned to sit through the storm.”
As determined as he was to bag a gobbler, bagging the white bird seemed like an unrealistic expectation.
“The last picture I had of him was in February,” Rone said. “I never expected in a million years to see this bird again.”
It was a quiet morning. Not only did Rone not see the white gobbler, he didn’t see any others, either. After about two hours of hunting, he decided to move to another ridge.
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Rone set up, did some light calling and scratched in the leaves around him. Within about 3 minutes, he was looking at the white gobbler. It was 50 yards away and coming straight toward Rone.
“I was speechless,” Rone said. “It was unbelievable. He just popped up. It’s something you’d never imagine, or I don’t, anyway.”
When the bird was 30 yards away, Rone pulled the trigger on his 20 gauge shotgun and his Apex Ammunition tungsten shot did the rest.
Again, Rone was in disbelief.
“That doesn’t happen, but it happened,” Rone said. “It happened so fast. I was just thanking God for that opportunity.”
Rone had beaten the odds. Fortunately, he harvested the bird before the storm hit, too. But what exactly did he harvest?
The feathers on the turkey were white. Its beard, measuring 9 inches, was black. Its legs were pink and the nails and 3/4-inch spurs were white. Rone estimated the bird’s weight to be 17 pounds, which he said is average for the area.
“I’m pretty sure that’s a leucistic bird,” said Caleb Hinton, biologist with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “That’s very, very unusual.”
Leucism differs from albinism. Leucism is a condition that can cause a slight variation in colors of some animals or extreme differences, such as Rone’s white gobbler. However, in cases of albinism, there is no pigment at all.
One of the tell-tale signs is the black beard.
“That’s an indication it’s leucistic and not a full albino,” Hinton said.
So, how unusual is it?
“That’s very rare,” Hinton said. “It’s so rare, there’s no exact numbers on it. It’s one in several thousand at least.”
RFK Jr. suggested letting bird flu spread freely, but experts warn it could lead to devastating consequences, including a potential pandemic. Win McNamee/Getty Images
As bird flu continues to sweep through poultry farms, forcing the culling of millions of birds, United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is proposing a different approach: let the virus spread.
The unconventional idea has alarmed health officials, warning this “dangerous” method would likely kill more bids, devastate the U.S. poultry industry, and even increase the virus’s chances of spreading to humans.
Anytime the avian flu is detected on a poultry farm, the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit its spread. This is because the virus is incredibly contagious, spreading quickly among the flock.
This has led to hundreds of millions of chickens being culled.
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Scientists are still figuring out the best way to protect poultry when avian flu is detected on farms, but so far, culling the flock and stopping the virus in its tracks has been the most effective approach.
1:55Nearly seven million birds culled in B.C.’s Fraser Valley due to avian flu
However, Kennedy did not agree with this, instead suggesting the virus should rip through the flocks.
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“Should you cull those flocks?” he said. “You should let the disease go through them and identify the birds that survive, which are the birds that probably have a genetic inclination for immunity and those are the birds who should breed.”
Rocio Crespo, a poultry veterinarian at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, disagreed with the idea, warning this not only gives the bird flu a higher chance to spread to other flocks and animals, but humans too.
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“It is not right, it’s dangerous… it’s like putting Ebola in the middle of New York City and not isolating people,” she said.
Matthew Koci, a professor of immunology and virology at North Carolina State University’s poultry science department, echoed these sentiments.
The more animals the virus infects, he said, the more we are “rolling the dice” for a mutation to happen and turn into “the next pandemic.”
“It increases the risk of jumping to humans…. letting the virus rip through billions of chickens is giving Mother Nature more and more time to find the virus mutation that will jump to human and spread human to human,” he said.
Although rare, humans can become infected with avian flu, with the U.S. just reporting its first bird flu death earlier this year. Most of the human cases so far have been seen in those who have had prolonged contact with infected birds or dairy cows.
0:59Experts concerned about seasonal flu, bird flu cases mixing together
‘That’s not how it works’
There are other repercussions to letting the bird flu run its course.
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The virus is nearly 100 per cent fatal in birds. This means that if you let bird flu run through a flock, there will be no more birds left, Koci warned.
“There will be no more chicken industry, as 95 per cent of them will be dead and it will decades for the industry to populate. This will decimate reproduction.”
The genetic selection of finding immune birds isn’t as simple as it sounds, he added.
For decades, scientists have been working to figure out how to protect birds from influenza, and if selecting for a specific breed were possible, “we would have done that by now,” Koci added.
Koci believes RFK Jr.’s idea aligns with his stance on COVID-19 and measles, which essentially boils down to “let evolutionary selection run its course, and those who survive won’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“But no pathogen has ever gone away just because it ripped through a population,” Koci said. “That’s not how it works.”
The Police at Skukuza are investigating a shooting incident after a suspected poacher was fatally wounded by Field Rangers inside the Kruger National Park (KNP) on Friday, 21 March 2025.
The Section Rangers of the SANPARKS at the Lower Sabie Section are said to have come into contact with two suspected poachers around 15:00 whilst on patrol duties. It was during this period when the two were spotted and, instead of stopping, the two ran into the bushes. Tracing of the two individuals by the Rangers commenced until they were spotted again at about 18:15.
This time around, the two alleged poachers reportedly started shooting towards the Rangers. In response, the Rangers returned fire and it was during this time where one alleged poacher got shot whilst another one got away.
Field Rangers are said to have summoned for Medical Personnel and also alerted the Skukuza SAPS. The injured man unfortunately succumbed to his injuries before he could receive assistance.
During processing of the scene, a hunting rifle with two ammunition as well as a knife were found in his possession. The paramedics certified him dead at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding this incident form part of the investigation by the Police. The man has not yet been identified.
This incident is similar to another one that reportedly occurred in Malelane area of the Kruger National Park on Tuesday, 18 March 2025 whereby one alleged poacher was fatally shot. During that incident, two alleged poachers were spotted by the Field Rangers. A shootout ensued between the Rangers and the alleged poachers. One vanished into thin air and the other one sustained some injuries then later succumbed. A hunting rifle with ammunition were also found in his possession. The alleged poacher has also not been identified.
HAMILTON TWP., MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — It was an emotional moment late last month when Napoleon, an adult bald eagle, was released into the wild after months of treatment for heavy metal toxicity.
“You cry tears of joy, because he is back out there, and tears of you’re going to miss him, almost — but this is what we want,” said Kat Schuster, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and lead clinic manager at Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center.
“This is the outcome that we were looking for and for him. When he first came in, he was eating on his own, then he stopped. There were ups and downs with him.”
Napoleon’s rehabilitation and release into the wild is a bright spot amid a dangerous time for bald eagles in the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the commonwealth.
Bird flu continues to threaten wild bird populations, causing so far more than a dozen bald eagles to be euthanized across Pennsylvania.
‘Positioned to withstand losses’
While local and state experts said decades of conservation work has bolstered the species enough to weather the recent surge of infection, there are plenty of other threats to bald eagles still out there — especially heavy metal toxicity, negatively impacting the species.
Since December, 18 bald eagles statewide have been euthanized because of symptoms of HPAI, or highly pathogenic avian influenza — commonly called bird flu — according to data from the state Game Commission.
That total includes three in Northampton County and four in nearby Berks County.
“Our population also has an abundance of non-breeding adults that are awaiting an opportunity to pair up and often do very quickly. So, eagles would seem well-positioned to withstand losses related to HPAI.”
Travis Lau, communications director with the state Game Commission
“In general, bald eagles have a healthy population here,” state Game Commission Communications Director Travis Lau said.
“They are no longer on a list of any threatened or endangered species, which says a lot for a species that as recently as 1983 had only three known nests in Pennsylvania.
“Our population also has an abundance of non-breeding adults that are awaiting an opportunity to pair up and often do very quickly.
“So eagles would seem well-positioned to withstand losses related to HPAI.”
Risk to people remains low
An influenza type A virus, HPAI or H5N1, is highly contagious and often fatal in birds.
It can be easily spread from bird to bird in some species through direct contact with an infected animal’s mucous membrane, feces and/or blood.
The virus, which hit the United States in 2022, has jumped from birds to dairy cows, as well as other mammals, and has caused one human death.
There have been no reported bird flu infections in dairy cows or people in Pennsylvania. Health officials, both locally and nationally, say the risk to people remains low.
‘The worst is behind us’
Recent infections have come amid the annual snow geese migration. However, with warmer weather around the corner, the snow geese should be making their way out of the region.
Each spring, tens of thousands of migratory snow geese make their way through Pennsylvania, heading north to colder climates to breed.
They tend to gather in large, concentrated flocks, increasing the amount of pathogens to which they’re exposed.
“I think there’s a lot of hope that the worst is behind us regarding this resurgence of HPAI.”
Travis Lau, communications director with the state Game Commission
“Things have tapered significantly in recent weeks, which is reflected by the detection list showing none since March 4,” Lau said.
“Meanwhile, snow goose migration is wrapping up, with the majority of snow geese having already pushed through Pennsylvania.
“So I think there’s a lot of hope that the worst is behind us regarding this resurgence of HPAI.”
The three Northampton County eagles euthanized included birds known to residents, such as one of a mated pair at Minsi Lake Wilderness Area.
In addition to bald eagles and snow geese, bird flu has claimed several other of the Valley’s wild animals.
In Northampton County, bird flu is cited as the cause of death for three red-tailed hawks, a great horned owl, a red-shouldered hawk and a black vulture, according to Game Commission data.
In Lehigh County, the virus has caused the death of a red fox, an American cow and two red-tailed hawks.
‘It’s common’
Napoleon, found in August in Lehigh County, was covered in human waste and unable to fly by the time Pocono Wildlife rehabilitators worked with him.
“He was basically, completely lifeless,” Schuster said. “We don’t know exactly where he got covered in the goo that he was covered in, or how that happened to him. He didn’t tell us.
“He was cleaned up. He was very weak. We did a blood toxicity level — it was high. He did go to the vet several, several times.”
Napoleon, named for his short stature and feisty demeanor, was found to have zinc and copper toxicity, as well as suspected blindness in one eye.
“A lot of the birds that we get in that are high levels, it’s lead,” Schuster said. “It’s from sinkers, it’s from BB guns or bullets. It’s very unusual to have zinc and copper.”
Heavy metal toxicity, especially lead, appears to be an increasing problem for bald eagles countrywide. It can cause neurological issues, leg paralysis and organ failure.
“It’s common,” Pocono Wildlife lead avian specialist Sampson Metzgar said.
“All eagles have lead in their system that come in — it’s just a matter of how high they are. If it’s over a certain amount, then it’s considered detrimental.”
“A lead fragment the size of a grain of rice is lethal to a mature bald eagle, meaning that a standard 150 grain lead bullet can poison 10 eagles.”
American Eagle Foundation
“A lead fragment the size of a grain of rice is lethal to a mature bald eagle, meaning that a standard 150 grain lead bullet can poison 10 eagles,” according to the foundation’s website.
“The deadly metal accumulates in an eagle’s system over the course of their lives, meaning that there is no safe amount of lead exposure.
“For this reason, lead is often called ‘the silent killer.’”
When a bird comes to the center with heavy metal toxicity, it’s heartbreaking, Schuster said.
“They lose weight, they stop eating,” she said. “They are just basically sitting there with their head hanging. And to see a majestic bird in that state is heartbreaking.”
Research shows exposures often are the result of unintended consequences from lead ammunition fragments and fishing tackle that are left behind in the field.
“You have the hunters that hunt responsibly, and the fishers that fish responsibly make sure that they’re taking their arrows, sinkers back with them,” she said.
However, there are many who don’t, and it’s only a matter of time before wild animals become exposed.
“We don’t know how [Napoleon] ingested that much zinc or copper, but he was on what’s called chelation off and on for several weeks, back and forth to the vet,” she said.
Chelation therapy binds heavy metals, removing them through excretion.
The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center is a wildlife rescue service based in Hamilton Township, Monroe County.
‘They’re all success stories’
While Napoleon came into the center eating on his own, he soon stopped, but staff continued to work with him, eventually finding success.
By December, he was eating well and his blood tests were coming back normal, officials said.
“I like to think it was a trust thing and that he was feeling much better and getting his strength back,” Schuster said. “But there’s no way to really know.”
There was worry that he wouldn’t be releasable, because of the blindness in one eye, but Schuster said he started following his food with that eye, too.
He soon moved to a larger enclosure, where he built his strength and bided time, waiting for a break in the icy winter weather.
“He was flying around the cage. He was landing on the perches,” she said. “We have a large tree stump in there that he would land on and eat.
“The prey testing went well, and then it was a matter of just waiting for weather. February was so snowy and so icy.”
Near the end of February, Napoleon was released on the grounds of the center. Staff watched as he flew around before landing on the top of a tree.
“For me, they’re all success stories,” Schuster said. “Because even if they don’t make it, they were warm. They were safe. They weren’t being attacked by something else and dying in that way.
“These things matter to us — the quality of life and the quality of death.”
Residents who see a dead or sick animal, can report it to the state Game Commission by calling 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453).
A gobbler’s eye is ultra discerning and critical, and suffers no mistake. But, if all we did was hunt by ourselves, alone, we would miss the camaraderie, the sharing of wild experiences and all the shared fun.
Like a big red fox running past us on his way to feed those young pups we saw in the old woodchuck den.
Or how about the time we saw the Cooper’s hawk whose “reach exceeded its grasp,” by catching a bird so big that it could only fly 20 yards or so at a time? So it made its way through the woods in 20-yard increments, but never letting go of its prey. Feeling a twinge of spiritual kinship, we said, “Fellow hunter, you had good luck, we sure could use some now, too.”
And admiring the way the sunlight hits a handful of blossoming wild apple trees, covered with what seems like puffy piles of white and pink flowers, experienced only by actually walking in the woods. And then there are the laughs; all the laughs and stories, fooling around, poking fun and good-natured kidding.
Make no mistake about it, turkey hunting is serious business, but maybe even intensified by the humor which is such a part of it.
There is just something about turkey hunting that brings out the laughter and “needling,” unlike any other of the outdoor sports.
Why? Maybe the humor is deeper and stronger than other types of hunts, primarily because of the criticalness of the situation. I like to equate it to being in a schoolroom with a stern teacher. Just can’t stop laughing sometimes. And in those times, the harder we try, the tougher it is.
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Remember those moments when we were not supposed to laugh and the more we tried to hold it in, the stronger the laugh became, so much so as violent, silent, gut-straining shakes? Remember we’d gasp out, finally, “Don’t … don’t … I’ll pee my pants.” The actual incident which created the laughter was situational, impossible to remember, and not worth the effort to explain to someone else. And we always lamely finished the explanation with something like, “Well, I guess you just had to be there.” Felt a bit foolish.
That ambivalent state occurs when in the presence of beings that require we keep perfectly straight composure and that we remain in a controlled and constrained state; be it a teacher, preacher, boss, or a wise, old, humorless turkey gobbler.
Wild turkey gobblers have absolutely no sense of humor and send us to the office in a heartbeat every time they bust us. Their kind has strutted and gobbled across the earth for millennia with nary a snicker, chuckle, giggle, or laugh. They do not have it in their bones to cut us any slack. They are unforgiving and the most deadly serious critters around. They are devoid of curiosity. And they lack any sense of fun. Tom turkeys have only one look, a stern stare.
Maybe the reason for their lack of humor lies within their bones. After all, according to recent paleontology, they are the descendants of dinosaurs. And any offspring, millions of years down the line from Tyrannosaurus Rex, must be genetically predisposed to be “dry” and mean-spirited. But perhaps even our modern turkey is more crotchety than his great forbearer T. Rex – down the long tunnel of time, and now a feathered grouchy curmudgeon. Gobblers do not tolerate mistakes. Let them be that way.
You see, actually our ancestors were chased, harassed, hunted and munched by dinosaurs down through the millennia. But we got bigger and stronger and turned into the hunter while they got smaller. And we discovered how good they taste.
Now we are the hunter and they are the hunted.
Maybe there is some innate resentment lodged in a nook in that walnut-sized brain … a tiny recess of their genome that goes all the way back to when their ancestors ruled the earth. But now the hunting boot is on the other foot and as the saying goes, “He who laughs last … laughs best.”
After a thorough investigation, two people were found guilty of several wildlife offenses.
The offenses including unlawful hunting and residency fraud, related to the illegal harvest of a mule deer in Hunt Unit 114 on the Utah-Nevada border, mostly in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Officers from the Utah Division of Natural Resources (DNR) tipped the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) in December 2022 about a resident of Panguitch, Utah, who reportedly used a fake resident hunting tag to kill a huge 5×4 mule deer in Nevada.
According to NDOW, the person was not eligible for the resident tag used in the hunt as investigators verified that they had lived in Utah for more than three years.
Authorities discovered through search warrants and investigative methods that the spouse of the person in question, who filled out applications and obtained licenses under false pretenses, was responsible for the fraudulent application and tag purchases.
Both people were charged with felonies, gross misdemeanors, and misdemeanor wildlife offenses following an in-depth review of official papers, bank records, and digital evidence.
The primary suspect’s hunting privileges were suspended for five years after they entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting unlawful possession, a serious offense.
The offender was also given a 12-month probationary period with stringent conditions, a 60-day suspended jail sentence, and a total loss of 36 hunting bonus points.
In addition, a $4,999.99 joint civil penalty was imposed on both parties.
In addition to sharing the civil penalty, the second person was found guilty of a misdemeanor offense, which led to license suspension and financial penalties exceeding $600.
“This case could not have been solved without the crucial collaboration between NDOW and Utah DNR, this case exemplifies the importance of interagency partnerships in protecting wildlife and enforcing conservation laws.”
– said Lieutenant Anderson
According to NDOW, a hunting or fishing license suspension in one participating state is recognized and enforced in all other member states under the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (IWVC), which prohibits someone from getting a license in another state.
They say Alaska is the only state not included in this pact, which covers 49 states.
Therefore, thee two people who were given a five-year hunting right suspension will thus not be able to get a license in any of the states that are involved.
NDOW says residency fraud is still a major problem that undermines conservation financing and denies opportunity to legitimate hunters.
The significance of public collaboration in safeguarding animal resources is highlighted by this example.
NDow says sportsmen and the general public can utilize the new NDOW Tip app or the OGT hotline at (800) 992-3030 to report wildlife crime.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — An Alabama man was recently convicted in a decades-old Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife case after failing to appear in court for more than 20 years.
Kenny Craig, 53, of Elkmont, Alabama, and formerly of Lysite, Wyoming, was arrested in March 2024 on a bench warrant issued in February 2000 after he failed to appear in court for multiple hunting violations.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol arrested Craig during a traffic stop in Crook County. He was taken to jail and later released on a $1,000 bond.
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On June 25, 2024, Craig was convicted in Fremont County Circuit Court for the original wildlife crimes he committed during the 1998 hunting season. As part of a plea agreement, 9th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Dan Stebner accepted Craig’s no-contest plea to one count of taking a deer without a license. He was ordered to pay $410 in fines and court costs, along with $1,000 in restitution for the illegally taken buck mule deer. His hunting, fishing and trapping privileges were suspended for three years. In exchange for his plea, three additional charges were dismissed and two further violations were not charged.
Craig’s violations date back to Oct. 24, 1998, when he illegally killed a 5-by-5 buck mule deer on Game and Fish’s Sand Mesa Wildlife Habitat Management Area near Riverton. He was hunting in Deer Hunt Area 157 — a limited-quota area — with a general deer license, which was not valid for that hunt area. Craig failed to tag the buck and later used his brother’s limited-quota license to validate the animal illegally.
In addition, Craig illegally purchased a Wyoming resident general deer and elk license before meeting the state’s residency requirement. At the time he only lived in Wyoming for three months after moving from New Mexico. Wyoming law requires a person to be a resident for at least one year before applying for or purchasing a resident hunting or fishing license. Craig also failed to complete the mandatory hunter education course, which is required for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1966.
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Game and Fish began investigating Craig in fall 1999. Now retired game wardens Chris Daubin and Brad Gibb investigated the case. After collecting evidence and completing the case, four must-appear citations were issued and two additional violations were pending. Craig was scheduled to appear in court in late October 1999 but failed to do so and fled to Alabama.
A bench warrant was issued in February 2000, but Craig remained outside Wyoming until his recent arrest.
“There is no statute of limitations for wildlife crimes in Wyoming,” said Lander Region Wildlife Supervisor Jason Hunter. “Cases like these send a clear message: wildlife crimes will not be ignored, no matter how much time has passed.
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“Lawful sportsmen take great care to apply for the correct licenses in the correct areas and follow the existing laws and regulations. It shows respect for the resource, too. Violators must be held accountable when they don’t follow the rules. This ensures there are opportunities for all users to enjoy the wildlife resource well into the future.”
While all the original investigating officers, prosecutors and judges involved in the case have since retired, Fremont County Attorney Pat LeBrun and Assistant County Attorney Ember Oakley pursued the charges based on the detailed case reports compiled by officers at the time.
“I’m pleased that Mr. Craig has been held accountable for his wildlife crimes in Wyoming,” Oakley said. “This case demonstrates the exceptional work of our Wyoming wardens and their dedication to thorough investigations. Even 20 years after the crime, we were able to pick the case up and complete the prosecution. Their top-notch work is essential to protecting our state’s wildlife.”
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Exposing the Big Game 
