Montana game wardens traveled to five other states and, with the assistance of game wardens in those states, collected 18 illegally killed wildlife from Montana.
Seven elk, six mule deer, three whitetail deer and two antelope were confiscated as evidence in cases that include multiple wildlife violations, as announced by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
“These cases involve complex, long-term investigations of the most serious type of violations of hunting laws in Montana,” MFWP Chief of Law Enforcement Ron Howell stated.
Game wardens from the Montana cities of Kalispell, Billings and Miles City participated in the investigation, which included traveling to Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Kentucky.
Violations include license fraud, hunting without licenses, hunting during a closed season, over-limits of game animals, waste of game animals, tag transfer and unlawful possession of game animals. Charges are pending on all cases.
“Without the assistance of officers from the states involved, these cases would likely not be successfully investigated and prosecuted,” Howell said. “These investigations highlight the hard work and tenacity of our wardens to ensure that serious violations are investigated, and suspects are held accountable for those violations.”