Guilty Pleas Result in $21K in Fines and Jail Time for Two of Four Men Involved in Montana Trophy Poaching Ring

What began as anonymous tips to wildlife wardens back in 2022 has escalated into a federal-level investigation that later culminated in 33 criminal charges against four Montana men. Fast-forward three years and the case is looking as though it’s about to be completely buttoned up. In court proceedings yesterday, a second member of the poaching quartet took his licks in front of a judge, while the other two remain in plea negotiations amid vacated trial dates which are set to commence over the coming weeks.

This story, pieced together from court documents, investigative affidavits, and public records, exposes how social media bravado and sloppy evidence trails brought down what authorities called a brazen "trophy poaching ring."

The illegal spree took place between 2022 and 2024 and was centered around targeted high-value game in hard-to-draw districts, where permits are limited and animals like mature bull elk can fetch thousands on the black market for mounts and meat. 

Over that three-year period, Cameron Ray Wyant and Christian Gerald Wyant of Helena, along with Dylan Charles Boyer and Maxwell Lawton Krupp of Bozeman, allegedly killed or possessed at least 14 big-game animals without valid licenses, without landowner permission, or in outright violation of season and area regulations. Among the animals were six bull elk—including a massive trophy taken in the limited-draw Hunting District 380 near Anaconda—three mule deer bucks, four white-tailed deer, and one black bear. In several instances, the men took only the heads and antlers and left the meat to waste, a practice that ultimately drew some of the heaviest charges.

The investigation kicked off in the summer of 2022 after anonymous tips to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks about headless elk carcasses. Wardens eventually connected the dots to the four men through social-media photographs, DNA matches from discarded meat recovered in trash searches, GPS data from hunting apps, and direct admissions during interviews. One particularly damning piece of evidence was a 2023 Facebook post in which Cameron Wyant and Dylan Boyer posed with the District 380 trophy elk they had just killed illegally; the same animal’s decapitated body was later found nearby.

By spring 2024, the state had filed a total of 33 charges, which included 10 felonies and 23 misdemeanors against the group. With trials originally slated for December 15 now off the calendar, plea deals have moved forward for some, though the case isn't fully closed.

Maxwell Krupp, whose role was primarily providing fraudulent resident licenses while living out of state, was the first to resolve his case on November 13th. On that day, he pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts, including unlawful possession of a game animal and waste of game, paid more than $1,800 in fines and restitution, and lost his Montana hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges for four years. As part of the deal, he agreed to testify against his co-defendants if needed.

Yesterday, Cameron Wyant, whose social-media posts helped crack the case, followed suit in Lewis and Clark County District Court. He pleaded guilty to five counts (reduced from 10) including felonies for unlawful possession of game and tampering with evidence, plus misdemeanors for wasting game animals and hunting while privileges were suspended. His penalties include deferred sentences, $19,250 in restitution and fees to cover enforcement and wildlife damages, $2,500 in fines, and a 10-year revocation of his hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges, with a possible appeal after four years.

He received a six-year deferred sentence for the unlawful possession count, which would allow him to have the conviction removed from his record if he can manage not breaking the law over the next six years. He will have to serve five days in jail this month on weekends for hunting with a suspended license and received a three-year deferred sentence to run concurrently with the six-year deferred sentence for the tampering with evidence conviction.

Dylan Boyer, identified as the primary shooter in several of the most serious incidents like the District 380 elk kill, still faces one felony and nine misdemeanors related to waste, lack of tags and permissions, and other violations. His change-of-plea hearing, originally scheduled for December 3rd alongside Wyant's, was postponed, and no new date has been set publicly, though ongoing negotiations suggest a resolution may come soon.

Christian Wyant, charged as an accomplice in multiple elk poaches, faces one felony and seven misdemeanors with potential penalties exceeding $10,000 in restitution. He has a status hearing on December 10, but no plea or sentencing has been entered yet.

The two resolved cases so far have resulted in over $21,000 in combined restitution, plus forfeited antlers, mounts, and firearms. All four men, once fully sentenced, will be entered into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, extending their license suspensions to more than 40 other states.