Idaho
Multi-year wildlife investigation in Wyoming ends in conviction of Idaho Falls man – East Idaho News
AFTON, Wyoming — A years-long wildlife poaching investigation involving multiple counties in western Wyoming ended this fall with the sentencing of an Idaho Falls man who illegally obtained resident hunting licenses and killed trophy big game animals across the state.
Rodney Gilstrap was sentenced Sept. 24 in Lincoln County Circuit Court after losing an appeal challenging his earlier convictions.
The case began in 2019, when Afton Game Warden James Hobbs received anonymous tips that Gilstrap had been fraudulently claiming Wyoming residency to buy resident deer, elk, black bear, and fishing licenses while actually living and working in Idaho, according to a news release from the Wyoming Fish and Game Department.
Wyoming Game and Fish wardens, working with Idaho Fish and Game, launched a multi-year investigation that uncovered a pattern of illegal hunting stretching from 2018 to 2021 across Lincoln, Sublette, and Teton counties. Officers executed search warrants at Gilstrap’s Idaho Falls home on March 18, 2022, seizing four large mule deer heads, two bull elk heads, and a pronghorn head. Investigators later confirmed the animals had been taken in Wyoming using illegally obtained resident tags—or without any license at all.
Gilstrap was ultimately charged in three counties with 22 wildlife crimes, including making false statements to obtain resident licenses and killing mule deer, elk, and pronghorn without proper permits. The illegally killed animals included four trophy-class mule deer measuring 180–220 inches and three large bull elk, according to investigators.
On Aug. 1, 2024, Gilstrap accepted a plea agreement in Lincoln County. He pleaded guilty to three counts of making false statements to obtain resident licenses and three counts of taking wildlife without a proper license. He received a 540-day jail sentence with 519 days suspended, leaving 21 days to serve, along with three years of unsupervised probation. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and $17,905 in fines, lost his hunting privileges for 18 years in all Wildlife Violator Compact states, and forfeited all seized antlers and heads.
Sixteen additional charges across Lincoln, Sublette, and Teton counties were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Gilstrap’s attorneys appealed, arguing the district court committed procedural errors, relied improperly on comparisons to similar cases, and abused its discretion by imposing jail time and restricting shed-antler hunting during probation. On June 10, 2025, District Court Judge Joseph Bluemel upheld the original sentence.
A subsequent request for a sentence reduction was denied Sept. 24 by Circuit Court Judge Gregory S. Corpening. Gilstrap is scheduled to report to the Lincoln County Detention Center on Nov. 7 to begin serving his 21-day sentence on a modified work-release schedule, finishing in September 2026.
Wildlife officials say the case highlights the lengths some offenders will go to exploit Wyoming’s resident licensing system, where nonresidents must accumulate years of preference points to draw the same tags. They credited concerned citizens for reporting Gilstrap’s activities and emphasized the importance of public tips in stopping poaching.
Wildlife crimes can be reported by calling a local game warden, 1-877-WGFD-TIP (1-877-943-3847), or 307-777-4330 for out-of-state callers. Tips can also be sent by texting “WGFD” and a message to 847-411.
=htmlentities(get_the_title())?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=get_permalink()?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=htmlentities(‘For more stories like this one, be sure to visit https://www.eastidahonews.com/ for all of the latest news, community events and more.’)?>&subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20EastIdahoNews” class=”fa-stack jDialog”>
The Idaho State Police say that Robert Giesick, 40, from Billings is the man missing in a crash on State Highway 55 near Cascade, about 80 miles north of Boise.
A pick-up truck driven by Giesick ended up in the Payette River after a head-on crash with another pick-up truck.
Watch Idaho crash story here:
Idaho state troopers identify Billings man missing in traffic accident
“I was able to find some people that saw a male, an adult man, swimming for the shore from the truck,” said Idaho State Trooper Richard Knapp, who attempted to rescue Giesick. “Unfortunately he didn’t make it. He got swept downriver. Witnesses lost sight of him, and that was the last time anybody saw him.”
Knapp says search crews looked extensively for the 40-year-old, but after 24 hours, it became a recovery effort for the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit.
After that on Monday came the monumental task of removing the pickup truck from the raging water.
“It was an intensive a recovery, honestly, our operators were tested, their knowledge was tested,” said Mark Boisvert, Code Red Towing owner. “They said it was a very extreme recovery for them, more than usual.”
Idaho business owners have less than a month to decide how to comply with a new state law criminally banning trans people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity.
The law is set to take effect July 1, which would make it a misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony for subsequent offenses within five years.
It’s currently being challenged in federal court by the ACLU of Idaho.
On Tuesday, a panel sponsored by Idaho Employment Lawyers encouraged companies to prepare now as if the law will remain in effect as litigation continues.
Cody Earl, a lawyer for St. Luke’s Health System who spoke on the panel in his personal capacity, said there are several paths businesses can take.
Converting all bathrooms into single-use, gender-neutral facilities is one option, though it could be costly for larger businesses. Earl said companies could take other steps to make the transition more affordable.
“Even if it is a gender-specific restroom, [adding signage] that indicates where the closest gender-neutral restroom is so you could at least show that you’re giving employees an option or a choice,” he said.
Simply adding locks and only allowing one person at a time to a multi-stall bathroom is another choice, though panelists said that could be problematic for businesses with large amounts of customers, like restaurants and bars.
Idaho Employment Lawyers owner Pam Howland said companies also need to consider how this will affect their staff.
“This could definitely create some culture issues,” said Howland. “Do you have the policies you need to ensure your expectations as an employer of respect and civility are being followed? Possibly code of conduct provisions related to that? How about privacy?”
Those policies could include limiting or outright banning recording at the workplace.
Another legal wrinkle to complying with the law, the panel said, is that precedent in both the U.S. Supreme Court and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals prohibit discrimination based on someone’s gender identity.
Gender dysphoria, a mental health designation that causes severe distress to someone when their sex doesn’t align with their gender identity, has been considered a protected condition under the Americans with Disabilities Act in certain cases.
Republican state lawmakers argued earlier this year that Idaho needs to take this first-in-the-nation step to protect women and girls when they use the restroom in private businesses.
A 2025 study out of UCLA hasn’t found any increased risk to safety by allowing transgender people to use restrooms aligning with their gender identity.
A federal court in Boise will hear arguments over whether to approve or reject a preliminary injunction on June 5.
Copyright 2026 Boise State Public Radio
Remember that 250 years ago, nobody had ever heard of Idaho, and the name was mostly made up by an entrepreneur who impressed the federal government with an exaggeration about his knowledge of indigenous culture. But a large number of people who live in the state can trace ancestry to the colonial era, and I believe most Americans still have a love of country, even if some polls give an indication they may not quite know how to express it.
I Was at the Heart of the Bicentennial
Looking back 50 years, I was in Washington, D.C. at the beginning of July. Washington also didn’t exist in 1776. My memory is that its reputation as a hot, sticky swamp was well earned. I traveled there with a history club from school. On a rattling old yellow bus. The city was packed, and many of the people on the streets were foreign tourists. It told me that despite the anti-Americanism common on streets elsewhere around the world, we were still fascinating others.
We’re Still One Nation
1976 was a unifying experience and followed a very turbulent previous 15 years. Some people fear the 250th jubilee won’t bring us together. Look, those rent-a-mobs you see on TV and online are actually a small fraction of America. Picnics in the park don’t make news. Riots and tear gas get the attention of newsrooms. There are still far more picnics.
The recent Memorial Day commemorations were reverential. Independence Day 2026 is going to be a party. The media focus will be on President Trump and a festival far away. Meanwhile, across Idaho, grills will be fired up, and we’ll be proud to be Americans.
Here Are Rappers Who Are Still Supporting Donald Trump
-
Technology1 minute agoCould your Samsung phone replace your passport?
-
Business6 minutes agoRent-hike ban to protect fire victims ends despite gouging concerns
-
Entertainment13 minutes agoTwo of music’s most powerful executives maxed out donations to Spencer Pratt
-
Lifestyle16 minutes agoVintage-obsessed millennial parents are driving L.A.’s booming kids’ clothing resale market
-
Politics21 minutes agoEarly returns indicate L.A. County voters have doubts about healthcare sales tax measure
-
Sports31 minutes agoNelly Korda, Michelle Wie West and more: Who to watch at U.S. Women’s Open
-
World43 minutes agoEU launches major tech push to break US and China dependence
-
News1 hour agoCalifornia’s primary for governor is undecided as candidates vie to be in the top two
