Six Charged in Massive Kentucky Wildlife Poaching Case 👮

As we continue to slowly but surely inch back towards the weekend, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get into what this beautiful Tuesday has to offer.

Here's what's worth reading about so far this week:

HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS WERE KILLED
SIX MEN CHARGED IN MASSIVE KENTUCKY WILDLIFE POACHING CASE

In an announcement made late last week, Kentucky authorities proved they weren’t playing after dismantling what they describe as a "major" poaching operation, leading to the arrest of six young men who have now been slapped with over 100 criminal charges. The group is accused of illegally killing several hundred animals, including deer, turkey, foxes, and even a domestic pet, primarily by jacking them up at night using a spotlight.

The investigation, led by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources 3rd District game wardens, began in July 2024 during a routine traffic stop. Wardens Sgt. Steven Nelson and Logan Reynolds pulled over a vehicle observed using lights to illuminate fields from public roads in Grayson County. The suspects claimed they were hunting raccoons, despite no open season being in effect at the time. With their suspicions on high alert, the wardens proceeded to search the vehicle which revealed multiple .22-caliber firearms, spotlighting equipment, and open alcohol containers, sparking a deeper probe that soon uncovered a coordinated poaching network…

🐊 Live Alligator Seized from Convicted Felon During Mardi Gras Arrest. A 25-year-old man named Eurell D. Johnson from New Roads, Louisiana, was arrested early on Saturday, in the 400 block of Bourbon Street in New Orleans during Carnival festivities. Johnson caught the attention of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents after they spotted him carrying a 4-foot live alligator through the crowds around 1:30 a.m. When they made contact, they discovered he was also in possession of a firearm and marijuana.

Johnson faces charges including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm (which could carry fines of $1,000–$5,000 and 5–20 years in prison if convicted), possession of a live alligator (up to 120 days in jail and $400–$950 fine), and possession of marijuana (up to $100 fine). Authorities seized the alligator, which was later turned over to an LDWF biologist, the pistol, and the dope. Happy Mardi Gras!

🏛️ Camo-Clad Hunters Pack Wyoming Capitol to Push Legal Corner Crossing. A large group of camouflage-clad hunters turned out in force last Thursday, at the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne for "Camo at the Capitol Day," packing a legislative committee hearing to support House Bill 19 (HB19). The bill, titled "Corner crossing clarification," aims to officially codify in Wyoming state law that hunters and recreationists can legally "corner-cross" provided it's done carefully on foot only. The House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee voted to advance the bill to the full Wyoming House floor, marking a key step forward amid strong public turnout from hunters, anglers, and conservationists attending the annual advocacy event by the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.

The push comes after years of legal battles over corner-crossing in Wyoming's checkerboard-patterned lands, where public (often federal) and private parcels alternate. A landmark 2021 case involving four Missouri elk hunters in Carbon County resulted in their acquittal on criminal trespass charges, a favorable 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, and the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal in October 2025 to hear the landowners' appeal, effectively upholding corner-crossing as legal in the circuit's states (including Wyoming). Despite the ruling, there’s no official Wyoming statute on corner crossing, something HB19 seeks to rectify.

🫎 Two Northeastern Ontario Men Convicted in Moose Meat Trafficking Case. Two men from River Valley in Northeastern Ontario have been fined a total of $5,000 for unlawfully selling harvested moose meat, following an investigation by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conservation officers. The probe began way back in early 2022 after reports of moose meat being commercialized in the area. In November of 2022, undercover officers purchased 32 packages of various moose meat cuts from the pair in River Valley in a sting operation. DNA analysis at Trent University’s Wildlife Forensic Laboratory later confirmed the meat came from four separate moose, leading to the initial charges. Both individuals pleaded guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice in Sturgeon Falls in April and September of last year.

For their role in the illegal moose meat slinging operation, Paul Descoteaux was fined $3,500, while Kareem Nicolas Rayan St-Germain received a $1,500 fine, for a combined total of $5,000.

🦁 Don’t let this fella separate you from the pack. Watch as this male lion manages to separate this calf from the pack.

From this point on, it doesn’t go too well for the young buff…

Oh, and one more thing…