Trial rescheduled in felony elk poaching case against anti-wolf activist

The saga continues of the case against anti-wolf activist Tony Mayer, who is accused of poaching a huge elk-

Judge doesnโ€™t dismiss poaching charge. Trial rescheduled in felony case against anti-wolf activist. By Terry Smith. Idaho Mountain Express Staff Writer.

The issue seems not to be whether he poached an elk, but whether it actually met the legal definition of “trophy” elk.

We have done quite a few articles this case, which many are saying shows the blatant hypocrisy of anti-wolf, “elk loving,” activists.


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  1. Woody Avatar
    Woody

    I had just gone to the Idaho Mountain Express to see what recent news was there and discovered this article and was going to report it here.
    Hopefully it will be found to be a trophy elk. If it is he would be tried for a felony.

  2. Phil Avatar
    Phil

    Woody: That would be great news. A harsh penalty would definately send a message that poaching will not be acceptable here as it should not be anywhere.

    1. jon Avatar
      jon

      The weird thing is I’ve seen very few hunters come out against this guy. That wackjob rockholm still is friends with him on facebook. The typical anti wolfers are sticking up for this guy. As long as he’s extreme anti-wolf, it’s ok if he poaches. That is the mindset of these nuts who hate wolves like rockholm.

      1. jon Avatar
        jon

        Rockholm and the other lunatics on ww2 are friends with Tony Mayer. They even have him on their facebook friends list. When this story broke, none of these hunters said anything about their good buddy Tony Mayer poaching an elk besides defend him. I guess since he’s so anti-wolf like them, it’s ok if he breaks the law and even kills one of the animals he claims to care for (the elk). You know these people advocate wolf poaching. Rockholm said it in one of his poorly made youtube videos. These people also defended Rex Rammell when he poached an elk. As long as you’re extremely anti-wolf, it’s ok if you break the law and kill one of these animals out of season. This is how these people think. They defend their own to the very end even when one of their friends breaks the law.

  3. Cody Coyote Avatar
    Cody Coyote

    I believe if anyone convicted of a felony loses their gun rights. Everywhere. No mo firearms.

    Mr. Mayer suddenly becomes a eunuch . How fateful. A man of his caliber and self-absorbed stature with no gun rights is like Rush Limbaugh without a mouth…

    ( fist pump )

    1. Savebears Avatar
      Savebears

      Normally it depends on the severity of the crime, the imposition of sentence and the terms of the sentence. It is unfortunate, that most that are convicted of a wildlife crime are at some time in the future, granted their hunting rights as well as their rights to own a gun again.

      I am of the firm belief if you are convicted of willful poaching, that it should be a one strike law, no more hunting for life and not more guns for life.

    2. Jay Avatar
      Jay

      He killed it with a bow, however–I don’t know for certain, but I don’t think archery equipment falls under the category of “firearms”.

      1. Savebears Avatar
        Savebears

        I know this is an Idaho case, but here in Montana, when you are convicted and placed on probation or parole, you can’t even own a bow, and they will not issue you a hunting license..

        I suspect we may see other states going in this direction in the future..

      2. Jay Avatar
        Jay

        I hope that’s the case–this jerk doesn’t deserve to own a squirt gun.

      3. Brian Ertz Avatar

        investigators looked into wounds in the animal which were larger than those normally characteristic of a bow ~ metal shavings surrounding the wound etc … though I believe that this may be dropped as it is difficult to prove.

  4. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    And how many people could get away with no surrendering an elk they poached to the officals like Rex did, from what I read he drove all the way back to where he lived before he would stop. I sorry but they should have put spike strips down and taken the whole works, truck, gun, elk, everything. Who knows how many wolves these people have gut shot, its no longer SSS, they are now just gut shooting them and most are resorting to using shotguns so the bullets cannot be traced back to their guns. If I were the judge I would make an example out of Tony and Rex.

    1. rtobasco Avatar
      rtobasco

      Hopefully Tony Mayer gets what he deserves, nothing more, nothing less. Loss of privileges would suit me fine. Idaho is among a group of 20+ western states that recognize such sanctions. As a result, if convicted, Mayer stands to lose privileges throughout the west. The same should happen to Rammel. I wish we could ship him back to where he came from.

      But Chuck, get a grip pardner – where does all this come from? Get your facts straight or at least take steps to validate the rumor you are so willing keep alive. I’ll check with a friend, who is a conservation officer over Rex’s way, but I do believe he surrendered the elk, perhaps not initially however. As for gut shooting wolves, I also have to believe that with the press continuing to lean hard left that we would be hearing more about gut shot wolves, if it were occurring. Shotguns?? Most of the guys you think are out perpetrating such crimes don’t have the wherewithal to get within shotgun range of a wolf. You significantly under-estimate the wolf with your assumptions that they are just lounging around waiting to get shot buy Bubba and his 12 guage. Your comments are nothing more than emotional, inflammatory rhetoric with the intent of fanning the flames to your advantage. And you think the anti-wolfers are a bunch of kooks?

      1. jon Avatar
        jon

        You are familiar with sss right? Shoot, shovel, and shutup. If they are practicing the last two ss’s, why would we hear about them? I don’t think Chucks’ comments are emotional. They are fact. Some wolves have already been killed by poachers in Montana and I don’t doubt there have been more wolves that have been killed as well. Just because we don’t hear about them, does not mean they are not happening. Believe me, a redneck that hates wolves given the chance would take a wolf out. Make no mistake about it.

      2. Savebears Avatar
        Savebears

        the only way your going to get close enough to a wolf to take it out with a shotgun, is pure luck…

        Jon, Knock it off with the redneck generalizations..

    2. rtobasco Avatar
      rtobasco

      If you at all familiar with modern day high powered hunting rifles and ammunition you would realize that, in a vast majority of instances, bullet recovery just isn’t feasible. A wolf is not particularly thick skinned nor heavy boned and most rounds will pass through. If a bullet does strike bone it is likely to shatter, rendering any efforts by the wily FWS detective types to match bullet to weapon as futile. The fact is that poachers are very hard to catch, unless undone by their own stupidity (quite often the case – i.e. bragging or bringing home a piece of physical evidence; hide, horns, tail, etc.). So why would they use a shotgun with an effective range on a wolf of 40 yards or so – if they had the correct load? Chuck, its just not rational to think that even the dumbest of these criminal types that would poach a wolf would ever resort to using a shotgun. What I really think may be closer to the truth is that you and Jon consort with some redneck types who take great pleasure in yankin yer chain by filling you full of these crazy notions. I also tend to think you can easily fooled into believing almost anything that is negative about folks who share opinions that differ from your own when it comes to wolves.

      Wolves (and elk and deer) are shot illegally now and then and I don’t like that any more than you do. It does nothing but rile folks up. When riled we often don’t think too straight. Tends to breed a lynch mob mentality and then folks tend to look a bit silly and often come off as being no better than those they seek to condemn.

      Just spoutin’ off with with some rumor you thought you heard at the local watering hole is not good form. Think, man, think.

  5. Phil Avatar
    Phil

    It is not generalizing when they give the name “redneck” to themselves.

    1. jon Avatar
      jon

      Why would anyone care what someone calls a poacher anyways?

      1. Immer Treue Avatar
        Immer Treue

        jon,

        Not to sound elitist, but anyways is archaic. Anyway will suffice.

      2. Savebears Avatar
        Savebears

        Because you have a tendency to generalize quite a few things Jon..if it concerns a poacher, call them what they are a criminal..

  6. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    The drainage I was hunting openning day of deer season last year another hunter in fact did gut shot a wolf and was bragging about it over the two way radio, he was accross the canyon from me, I listened to the wolf howl in pain until it died, this is fact. Yes I did talk with fed fish and wildlife and gave them gps numbers. I was among some people who were openly bragging about using shotguns to kill wolves that way there were no bullets to be traced back to them. As far as Rex goes I am just going by what I read on the internet and we all know if its on the internet its true…just kidding.
    I also went on a depredation hunt over in Weiser, just so happened the guys I was with were all mormons, just adding that because I guess they don’t believe in laws. But they had no problem bringing up if any wolves were seen to shoot them in the guts. I think there are more wolves being shot right now then people think. I really hope the judge is in a real bad mood when Tony’s turn comes up to go to trial and the judge decides to make an example out of him. The same goes for Rex and also the Meridian guy who poached the two trophy bulls up around Idaho city. I have 110% no tolerance for poachers. Just my opinions here.

    1. Connie Avatar
      Connie

      Chuck,
      I found your descriptive post very disturbing and am glad that you gave gps info to the appropriate authorities. Hopefully, they will act on this information, but I’m not optimistic. I’ll never understand people who intentionally inflict suffering on any animal. Sick . . .

Author

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.

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