‘They shot at anything that moved.’ Three from Missouri sentenced for poaching in eastern Idaho
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STANLEY — Thanks to witnesses who saw animals poached near Stanley, three people from Missouri have been caught.
Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officers John Beer and Malcolm Clemenhagen discovered a dead pronghorn buck back in August 2019 near Pettit Lake Road that led them to investigate. There was no bullet, and no boot tracks or shell casings.
After help from the media, witnesses called the Idaho poaching hotline which led investigators to the people involved.
Missouri residents Grifen Whiteside, 21, and Dylan Davidson, 25, pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors in Custer County and each received a 15-year license revocation, served 14 days in jail, received 10 years of probation, and were fined $2,325. A third person, Sydney Wallace, 20, also from Missouri, received a one-year hunting, fishing, and trapping license revocation and was fined $715. Final sentencing for the trio wrapped up this summer.
Officers and prosecutors proved the trio was responsible for illegally killing two pronghorn, two red fox, a duck, an osprey, three chipmunks, two ground squirrels, and a Chinook salmon.
“It seems the three shot at anything that moved,” Clemenhagen said. “It was a shocking reminder of what some people are capable of.”
Anyone that knows of any illegal wildlife activity is encouraged to contact their local conservation officer, the Citizens Against Poaching Hotline (208) 632-5999, or any law enforcement authority.