Idaho Poaching Scandal Swells as Father-Son Taxidermists Charged in Trophy Hunting Case 👮‍♂️

Welcome to 4th best day of the week besides Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

So, while we continue to slowly inch back towards the weekend, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get into what this beautiful Tuesday has to offer.

Here's what's worth reading about so far this week:

• Web of lies - Massive Idaho poaching case claims new victims 👮

• Bull #244 - One of the largest bulls in Wisconsin has been illegally shot 🤬

• Strict limits on tech - Idaho hunters are rallying for strict laws around drones, other tech 🚁

• Safe passage - New Mexico earmarks record funding for wildlife crossings 🚸

• Knock, knock - Watch as a pair of gators try a little forced entry 🚪 

THE WEB IS BECOMING UNTANGLED
IDAHO POACHING SCANDAL SWELLS AS FATHER-SON TAXIDERMISTS CHARGED IN TROPHY HUNTING CASE

In a significant escalation of a high-profile wildlife crime investigation in Idaho, a father-son taxidermy team have been charged in connection with a widespread poaching scandal. 

Father-son duo Tom and Ryan Schiermeier of Schiermeier Taxidermy, were named by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game as they recently uncovered over 40 intake forms for trophy mounts linked to illegally killed animals during a search of the taxidermy shop. Tom Schiermeier faces eight charges, including two felonies, while his son Ryan Schiermeier is charged with one felony for destroying and preparing false evidence, alongside seven misdemeanors. 

Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for May 9th, marking a new chapter in a case that has gripped the hunting community and conservationists alike.

The investigation kicked off with a focus on Karl W. Studer, a 43-year-old resident of Rupert, Idaho, whose alleged actions have since sparked one of the state's most extensive poaching probes…

🤬 Wisconsin DNR Seeks Public Help in Probe of Illegally Killed Bull Elk #244 in Jackson County.The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is seeking public assistance to investigate the illegal killing of bull elk #244, in Jackson County. Last month, DNR staff discovered the elk’s body on private property off East Snow Creek Road, north of Black River Falls, during efforts to capture and radio-collar a small group of elk for relocation. A necropsy confirmed the bull died from a gunshot wound, and evidence from its GPS radio collar and nearby cellular trail cameras has provided investigators with detailed information about the incident.

Bull #244 was one of the last elk brought to Wisconsin from Kentucky in 2016 and played a critical role as a primary breeding bull for the Central Elk Herd. Described as one of the largest and most photographed elk in the state, its loss is a major setback for the herd’s growth and for Wisconsin’s hunting and wildlife observation communities.

“The illegal shooting of bull 244 is a tremendous loss for the central elk herd and citizens of Wisconsin,” said Christina Kizewski, central elk herd biologist. “The illegal harvest of a bull of this magnitude reduces opportunity to the hunting community and to recreationalists attempting to photograph or see elk within Jackson County.”

The DNR is urging anyone with information, no matter how minor, to contact their confidential Violation Hotline at 1-800-847-9367 or submit tips online.

🚁 Idaho Citizens Committee Recommends Strict Limits on Hunting Technology, Public Comment to Follow.  A 23-member citizens committee known as the Hunting And Technology (HAT) Working Group, has unanimously recommended new restrictions on technology use when it comes to big game hunting in the state of Idaho. The state Fish and Game Commission has directed agency staff to incorporate these recommendations into rule packages for public comment later in 2025. The proposed rules focus on limiting technologies that give hunters an unfair advantage, specifically targeting aircraft, drones, and certain optics during big-game ungulate seasons (deer, elk, moose, antelope, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat) from July 1 to December 31. Key recommendations include prohibiting aircraft and drones for spotting, locating, or aiding in taking these animals, maintaining the ban on “smart optics” (weapon sights with range-adjusted aiming points) while allowing battery- or tritium-powered rifle scopes, and upholding current restrictions on primitive weapons and battery-powered devices for muzzleloader and archery seasons.

Three additional proposals, which fell one vote short of unanimous approval, will also be open for public comment but are not part of the commission’s consensus package. These include banning thermal imaging optics and night-vision devices for hunting, scouting, and retrieving big-game ungulates from July 1 to December 31, as well as restricting transmitting trail cameras during the same period. Notably, the restrictions apply only to ungulate seasons, leaving predator and black bear hunting unaffected, and while aircraft and drones are barred from scouting and hunting, their use in game retrieval is not addressed. The public can provide feedback on these proposals through opportunities listed on the HAT Working Group’s webpage, which will include draft language and updates on the rulemaking process.

🚸 Record Funding Set Aside for Wildlife Crossings in New Mexico. The state of New Mexico has committed $50 million to advance the New Mexico Wildlife Corridors Action Plan, a 2022 program identifying eleven priority sites for wildlife crossings to mitigate vehicle-wildlife collisions. Signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on April 11th, this funding represents the largest single state appropriation for terrestrial wildlife crossings in the U.S. The investment will support the design and construction of over- and underpasses, prioritizing a critical project on US 550 North near Cuba, known as the “Valley of Death” due to frequent wintertime crashes involving wildlife. Using vehicle collision data, wildlife GPS tracking, and other metrics, officials aim to begin engineering and design in 2026.

“Hunters rely on robust populations of wildlife. Robust populations of wildlife depend on large, intact habitats that provide animals with the ability to move freely across the landscape,” said Jesse Deubel, Executive Director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. “The barrier to this movement caused by roadways negatively impacts wildlife and also poses huge risks to the safety of motorists.”

Marcel Gaztambide, Southwest Field Manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, added, “With over 1,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions taking place in New Mexico every year, this investment in the safety of New Mexico’s drivers and wildlife was desperately needed.”

1. There’s three rows at your funeral.

   The first row is there because they loved you.

   The second row is there to support the first row.

   The third row is on their cell phones.

   Perform for the front row because at the end of the day, they are all that really matters.

2. Even your worst days are only 24 hours.

3. We are distracted from distraction by distraction. 

4. Modern therapy doesn’t work for men the same way that it works for women because women need to feel loved and men need to feel powerful.

5. Hope begins in the dark 🙏

VIDEO // ^{_{SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN}}

🐊 “Honey…did you see the new Uber Eats drivers??” Watch as a Ring camera in Florida (surprise, surprise) catches a pair of gators trying to get the homeowners attention for some non-obvious reason.

I’d just tell them boys to leave it on the door step…

Oh, and one more thing…