After illegally knocking down seven nice-sized whitetails, one of two St. Maries, Idaho men involved in the poaching spree finally met their match in court earlier this week. The sentencing marks the near conclusion of the high-profile poaching case that sent shockwaves through the Panhandle Region after an anonymous tip alerted authorities of the egregious crimes the pair committed.
The two men involved in the case were later identified in court records and media reports as William D. Clark, 24, and Lucas B. Mitchell, 28. While official Idaho Department of Fish and Game releases have not named the sentenced individual, charging documents and local news coverage linked these names to the initial felony charges. Clark was arrested on a $50,000 warrant shortly after charges were filed, and both men faced allegations of conspiracy and multiple big game violations.
The alleged poaching occurred in November 2024, during which all seven mature bucks were killed illegally during what authorities believe to be an intense 24-hour period. Key details from the case paint a picture of reckless and systematic abuse of hunting laws that include shooting outside of legal hunting hours and leaving three of the seven deer to waste, including one that was dumped off a hillside.
The investigation began in early 2025 following a crucial tip submitted through IDFG's Citizens Against Poaching hotline. The anonymous report included a photo of two suspicious deer heads in the back of Mitchell’s pickup truck, prompting conservation officers to launch a thorough probe. This public tip proved pivotal, leading officers to Mitchell’s home where they later uncovered “six whitetail buck heads in plain view”. Search warrants were also used to gain access to Mitchell’s cellphone and Snapchat account, revealing text messages, photos and videos tying him to at least four of the whitetail bucks.
Court records indicated that Mitchell initially told the investigators that he had shot one of the deer, two were shot by someone else and that he found the three additional deer already dead.
“He created a fictional story about shed hunting and finding the deer in the spring,” one officer wrote in a report. “He even showed us fictitious GPS points as to where he recovered the ‘deadheads.’”
IDFG conservation officers, in collaboration with the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, reviewed the evidence and filed eight felony counts on June 27, 2025.
Based on those charges, William Clark received a stern punishment in court on Wednesday which included $17,200 in restitution, $525 in meat processing fees, coverage of all court costs, seven months in county jail (one month per deer), five years of supervised probation, and a 10-year revocation of his hunting license.
“Fish and Game thanks the public for being diligent in reporting potential wildlife crimes and helping to preserve, protect, perpetuate and manage the incredible fish and wildlife to which Idaho is home,” IDFG said in a news release.
According to Idaho Fish and Game, his accomplice is scheduled for sentencing soon, indicating that justice is still unfolding for all parties involved in the case.
