Montana
Montana man used animal tissue and testicles to breed ‘giant’ sheep for sale to hunting preserves – The Boston Globe
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) â A Montana rancher illegally used tissue and testicles from wild sheep killed by hunters in central Asia and the U.S. to breed âgiantâ hybrid sheep for sale to private hunting preserves in Texas, according to court documents and federal prosecutors.
Arthur âJackâ Schubarth, 80, of Vaughn, Montana pleaded guilty to felony charges of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to traffic wildlife during an appearance Tuesday before a federal judge in Great Falls. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Court documents describe a yearslong conspiracy, beginning in 2013, in which Schubarth and at least five other people sought to create “giant sheep hybrids” by cross-breeding different species. Their goal was to garner high prices from hunting preserves where people shoot captive trophy game animals for a fee.
Using biological tissue obtained from a hunter who killed a wild sheep in Kyrgyzstan belonging to the world’s largest species of the animals â Marco Polo argali sheep â Schubarth procured cloned embryos of the animal from a lab, according to court documents.
The embryos were later implanted in a ewe, resulting in a pure Marco Polo argali sheep that Schubert named âMontana Mountain King,â the documents show. Semen from Montana Mountain King was used to artificially impregnate other ewes to create a larger and more valuable species of sheep, including one offspring that he reached an agreement to sell to two people in Texas for $10,000, according to the documents.
Male argali sheep can top 300 pounds with horns up to 5 feet long, according to officials, making them prized among some hunters. They are protected under international convention as a threatened species and outlawed for import into Montana to protect native sheep from disease and hybridization.
A person who was not named in court documents shipped 74 ewes of a prohibited sheep species from Minnesota to Schubarthâs ranch to be artificially inseminated with Montana Mountain King semen, the documents show. Offspring that had only a portion of the central Asian sheepâs genetics sold for lesser amounts.
In 2019, Schubarth paid $400 to a hunting guide for testicles from a trophy-sized Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep killed in Montana. Schubarth extracted semen from bighorn sheep testicles and used it to breed large bighorn sheep and sheep crossbred with the argali species, the documents show.
Assistant U.S. Attorney General Todd Kim described Schubarth’s actions as âan audacious scheme to create massive hybrid sheep species to be sold and hunted as trophies.” Kim said the defendant violated the Lacey Act that restricts wildlife trafficking and prohibits the sale of falsely labeled wildlife.
Schubarth said when reached by telephone on Wednesday that his attorney had advised him not to talk about the case.
âI would love to talk about it but canât do it now,â he said. His attorney, Jason Holden, did not immediately respond to telephone messages seeking comment.
Authorities agreed under the terms of a plea deal not to pursue further charges against the defendant pending his cooperation in the governmentâs ongoing investigation in the wildlife trafficking case.
Montana Mountain King is in the custody of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to Department of Justice spokesperson Matthew Nies. As part of the plea deal, Schubert agreed to quarantine any other sheep containing Marco Polo argali genetics and any bighorn sheep that were harvested from the wild.
The deal also allows federal wildlife officials to inspect and, if needed, neuter the animals.
Captive animal facilities where game species can be raised and hunted were banned in Montana under a 2000 ballot initiative. But they remain legal in some other states.
Schubarth’s 215-acre ranch is state-licensed as an alternative livestock facility, said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Greg Lemon. It was grandfathered in when the 2000 ballot initiative passed and has continued to operate, although hunting is prohibited, Lemon said.
Sentencing for Schubarth is set for July 11 before U.S. District Judge Brian Morris.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is accepting public comment on a proposal to open a new fishing access site on the Yellowstone River. The site, called Sisken Island, is located roughly halfway between the riverbanks, upstream from an existing access point.
The 85-acre site would offer float-in fishing access, a couple of camping sites, and weapons-restricted hunting.
The opportunity arose after a landowner chose to donate the property to the Trust for Public Land, which is now looking to pass it along to FWP.
WATCH: Montana FWP wants to hear from you! Public comment is open through May 21 on a proposed 85-acre fishing access site on the Yellowstone River
Montana FWP seeks public comment on proposed Sisken Island fishing access site on Yellowstone River
“This opportunity came about because there was a landowner looking to donate this property, so they donated it to an organization called the Trust for Public Land. Trust for Public Land is now looking to donate that property again to Fish, Wildlife and Parks to be managed as a fishing access site,” Morgan Jacobsen of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks said.
Jacobsen said the proposal checks many boxes for FWP, citing the site’s habitat and recreational potential.
“Some of the opportunities that it presents include really great habitat, so there’s mature cottonwood forest, there’s meadows, there’s an expansive river bank, and there’s also some side channels that flow through the site that provide good aquatic habitat too, so there’s conservation opportunities for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, but there’s also significant opportunities for recreation,” Jacobsen said.
Public comment will be accepted until May 21st. The Fish and Wildlife Commission will make its decision at its June 12th meeting in Helena.
Online: Submit your feedback and track project details on the Montana FWP Public Comment Opportunities page.
- June Meeting: Provide in-person or virtual feedback during the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission June 12 Meeting, where you can also view the livestream. [1, 2, 4]
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 17 drawing
09-18-27-31, Bonus: 14
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 17 drawing
11-23-41-45-55, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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Montana’s Karsen Beitz sprints in the Al Manuel Invitational in late March. The Missoula native won the 200-meter dash Saturday in the Big Sky meet.
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