Grangeville Man Sentenced for Game Violations

Poaching an elk will cost a Grangeville man his hunting privileges for three years, $2,000 in fines and two years of probation. On July 18, 2006, Ralph D. Martin, 64, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of an elk and obstructing wildlife law enforcement officers. Idaho County Magistrate Judge Michael Griffin fined Martin $1,825, revoked his hunting privileges for three years, and sentenced him to serve two years probation for the unlawful possession of an elk. Martin also was fined $175 for obstructing officers in their investigation, and can't be near anyone involved in hunting during his revocation period. Additional charges against Martin were dismissed in a plea agreement. The case began October 26, 2005, when Idaho Fish and Game received an anonymous tip of suspected elk poaching involving Martin and another individual in the Cottonwood Butte area of Big Game Management Unit 11. Fish and Game conservation officers interviewed Martin at his residence, where he repeatedly denied personally killing any elk but admitted that his hunting partner had killed one cow elk. Knowing that Martin did not posses an elk permit for Unit 11, the officers gathered tissue and hair samples for DNA analysis from Martin's truck. The following day, Martin changed his story and stated that he had killed a spike elk and that the other man involved had killed the cow elk. The officers then located and interviewed Martin's hunting partner and discovered that he possessed a spike bull elk with Martin's elk tag attached and another cow elk at his residence. The officers also pulled a bullet from the spike bull that could not have come from Martin's rifle. Confirming that there were significant conflicts in their statements and knowing that Martin did not have an elk permit for the area, the officers seized both elk as evidence. Officers searched the Cottonwood Butte area extensively and found the kill sites. They collected DNA evidence that matched samples from Martin's truck and the elk carcasses at the other suspect's home. After further investigation, Martin admitted that he knew he was hunting in an area for which he did not have an appropriate permit and that he had tagged the spike bull even though he didn't shoot it. Several felony and misdemeanor charges are pending against Martin's accomplice. Senior conservation officer Jim Roll said the DNA evidence was the "nail in the coffin" for tying the case together. "It proved we had closed season animals and an over-limit," he said. Though the case was solved using state of the art forensics, it would not have been initiated without the concerned individual making the initial call, Roll said. "That call brought some serious wildlife violators to justice," he said. "We hope this case sends the message to other potential violators that the citizens of Idaho take the abuse of their wildlife very seriously." Anyone with information on a wildlife violation can call their local Fish and Game Office, their local sheriff's department or the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.