Jail Time and Fines for Idaho Man Who Illegally Killed and Wasted a Trophy Moose

There are figurative once-in-a-lifetime hunts and there are literal once-in-a-lifetime hunts and when it comes to chasing bull moose in Idaho, it is most certainly the latter. In the state of Idaho, moose tags are drawn at random and if you, as a hunter, are lucky enough to draw one - and even more fortunate to kill one - that’s the last time you’ll ever do it. In an effort to allow more opportunity, Idaho’s laws dictate that anyone who draws a moose tag and subsequently kills a moose, are only allowed to do so once in their lifetime.

What an honor.

Well, in a recent poaching story coming out of northern Idaho, a Kellogg man by the name of Raymond A. Black decided he’d take it upon himself to circumvent this one particular rule. According to a release from Idaho’s Fish and Game Department, Black killed a trophy-class bull moose on November 6th of last year near Wolf Lodge Saddle, just east of Coeur d’Alene. 

Standing in the middle of a U.S. Forest Service road authorities stated that Black shot the bull moose with a high-powered rifle but was without the proper tag for the animal. Given the size of the animal and the snowy conditions, reports indicated that Black was unable to load the carcass himself and decided he ought to hike out and try to find help.

As he hiked out in search of human life, he was met by a couple of other hunters who gladly picked him up and offered their assistance. According to reports, the hunters said they found Black’s story suspicious right from the start, noting many inconsistencies in his story. The two hunters made note of Black’s license plate and proceeded to submit the information about his story and the license plates to the state’s Citizens Against Poaching hotline. 

Even with their suspicions, the hunters were even more surprised when Black, after returning to his vehicle and getting it unstuck, fled the scene, leaving the trophy moose to lay in the snow. 

With the witness testimony and the license plate information provided, Idaho officials were able to secure a search warrant for Black’s residence. During the investigation, officers were able to seize the rifle used to kill the moose along with other evidence to support the case. 

Facing charges for unlawful killing of wildlife, Black found himself in front of a judge in Kootenai County District Court earlier this month. On July 8th, Black pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unlawful killing, possession or wasting of wildlife. In Idaho, the unlawful killing of wildlife with a single or combined reimbursable damage amount exceeding $1,000 is classified as a felony. Bull moose are classified as trophy species under Idaho code and carry a $10,000 reimbursable damage assessment.

As part of Black’s sentencing, he was ordered to pay $1,500 in fines, $10,000 in restitution, and approximately $500 in meat processing fees and court costs. In addition to the financial penalties, Black was also hit with six months of jail time and three years of supervised probation as a condition of his suspended prison sentence. 

He was also nailed with a lifetime hunting and trapping ban in the state of Idaho, which will be enforced across all US states outside of Hawaii through the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.