Jenkins hauling out one of the bears | IDFG
An Idaho bear guide’s covert (and illegal) operation that netted him tens of thousands of dollars worth of cash for showing clients how to bait and bag black bears looks like it’s officially coming to a close. After spending a couple of seasons unwittingly tutoring an undercover Fish and Game officer in the fine art of felony poaching, he’s now staring down a lifetime hunting ban in a plea deal that should end up turning his backcountry classroom into his own permanent exile.
In what was another multi-year investigation by our friends at Idaho Fish and Game, 48-year-old Joe Jenkins of Pocatello, was charged for unlicensed guiding and baiting operations. According to court records and agency reports, Jenkins allegedly guided at least four clients on successful but illegal black bear hunts in 2022 and 2023. For his services, he reportedly raked in over $55,000 in cash while operating in association with a Utah-based outfitter, Hidden Peak Outfitters, which also lacked a valid Idaho license.
The probe began with public tips and an initial meeting arranged outside a Pocatello hair salon. From there, an undercover Idaho Fish and Game officer managed to join one hunt in 2024, where a bear was shot under Jenkins' direction, providing key evidence for the mounting case.
The violations centered on several key issues including guiding without proper authorization, unlawfully placing bear bait, and a few other related wildlife offenses. The case expanded over time, leading to Jenkins' arrest last spring by Twin Falls police on an Idaho Fish and Game warrant. Originally, he faced a total of 14 charges in Teton County (four felonies and 10 misdemeanors), plus additional counts in Power and Caribou counties for felony firearm possession (as a prior felon prohibited from owning guns) and wildlife violations. While he initially pleaded not guilty to the original charges, he has since decided to plead down to a pair of felonies and two misdemeanor counts.
Entering a plea deal with the Teton County Prosecutor's Office, Jenkins has agreed to plead guilty to two felony charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of wildlife valued over $1,000 as well as two misdemeanor charges of guiding without a license and unlawfully placing bear bait.
In exchange, prosecutors plan to dismiss the remaining counts, with a proposed sentence that would include $9,750 in restitution, plus a lifetime revocation of his hunting license in Idaho. And because Idaho participates in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (involving 49 states), this ban would likely extend to most other states, effectively barring him from hunting nationwide.
No jail time is specified in the agreement as that decision ultimately rests with District Judge Steven Boyce, who must approve the plea and impose the final sentence. A hearing date for that decision has not yet been set.
Shaneal Jenkins, 40, the wife of Joe Jenkins, is also up against a misdemeanor wildlife violation for aiding and abetting. Investigators claim she assisted in arranging an unlawful bear hunting trip in Teton Valley. She has entered a not-guilty plea and filed a motion for dismissal, which is set to be heard on March 11.
