Poachers Sentenced in Owyhee County

Kyle Whiteley and Andrew Lusk were sentenced June 6 on charges stemming from the illegal take of a bull elk in Eastern Owyhee County on January 4. Whiteley was charged with and pleaded guilty in Owyhee County Court to the unlawful possession of an elk and concealment or destruction of evidence, both misdemeanors. Magistrate Judge Dan C. Grober fined him a total of $500 in fines and court costs, and sentenced him to 180 days in jail (suspended), 12 months unsupervised probation, and a one year hunting license revocation. Lusk pleaded guilty to the unlawful taking of an elk and to hunting without a license. Judge Grober fined him $2,245 in fines and court costs, a civil penalty of $300, a processing fee of $250, and sentenced him to 180 days jail with 10 days to serve and the rest suspended, two years of unsupervised probation, and a five year revocation of all hunting and fishing privileges. Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers received an anonymous phone call made to the Citizens Against Poaching phone line about a six-by-six bull elk that had been shot the day before and was hanging in a nearby barn. When officers arrived, they found that Whiteley had the elk carcass in a barn and a six-by-six bull elk head and antlers in the back of his truck. They discovered that the elk had been shot at a neighboring ranch on the evening of January 4 by Lusk and that Whiteley was storing it for him. The Owyhee County prosecutor's office was involved in the case from the beginning and saw the case through to its conclusion. Cases like this often come to light because of concerned citizens who take a moment to call their local conservation officer or the Citizens Against Poaching line at 1-800-632-5999. CAP offers rewards for information leading to a citation and information may be given anonymously.