Earlier this month, a 28-year-old Anchorage man by the name of Logan Baston was cited by Alaska State Troopers for allegedly poaching a bull moose in Chugach State Park, a popular recreational area near the Powerline Pass Trail. The incident, which occurred near the South Fork Campbell Creek Bridge, has sparked debate about whether Baston’s actions were an honest mistake or a deliberate disregard for wildlife regulations.
According to authorities, a witness spotted Baston “roaming the tree line” with a game bag on Labor Day morning, prompting a response from Alaska Wildlife Troopers. After making contact, Baston admitted to killing a bull moose approximately 30 yards off the Powerline Pass Trail, an area accessed from the Glen Alps parking lot, a well-known trailhead for Flattop Mountain. He claimed he did not intend to hunt in a closed area, stating he had ended up about a mile from his intended location.
Blaming the mistake on a state map that displayed a hunting unit boundary that was ‘hard to read’, Baston told authorities that while he normally accessed the unit from the Indian side, this was his first time getting there from the easier Flattop side. Despite his excuses, Alaska troopers ultimately decided to issue a mandatory citation for hunting in a restricted zone.
The moose meat was seized and donated, while the antlers and Baston’s firearm were taken as evidence. The proximity of the kill to a heavily trafficked trail raises questions about Baston’s judgment, as the area is frequented by hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, making discretion challenging.
Adding complexity to the case is Baston’s prior legal trouble. In 2023, he and another individual faced charges in Montana for criminal trespass after illegally collecting shed elk antlers in a wildlife management area closed to the public during certain months to protect wintering wildlife. Baston received a deferred prosecution agreement and a six-month ban from Montana wildlife management areas, suggesting a history of flouting wildlife regulations.
While Baston’s explanation of a navigational error could be plausible given the rugged terrain of Chugach State Park, his past actions paint a picture of recklessness. The 2023 Montana incident indicates familiarity with restricted areas and their consequences, casting doubt on his claim of an innocent mistake. Killing a moose just 30 yards from a busy trail further suggests either a blatant disregard for the law or a serious lapse in awareness, both of which lean toward negligent behavior.
And while we are not here to pass judgement (we’ll leave that to the courts), the story, as presented, does display something of a pattern here. As Baston awaits further legal proceedings, this incident ought to serve as a reminder for all hunters to carefully verify boundaries and exercise caution to avoid costly mistakes—or in the very worst of cases, intentional violations.
