It would seem as though the very problems we experienced with market hunting all those years ago are now plaguing us again, this time in the form of discarded bone. As prices for antlers continue to climb, what started as an off-season pastime for many has turned into a for-profit scheme for those looking to bend the rules to make a buck.
An Idaho man has been handed down a $6,100 fine and a three-year hunting ban for illegal shed hunting on both Wyoming’s National Elk Refuge and the Bridger-Teton National Forest during closed season. The defendant, 31-year-old Jonathan Lee Cox from Twin Falls, Idaho, pled guilty after trying to move about $18,000 worth of bone he collected last spring.
“The defendant pled guilty to a felony charge of the attempted transport and sale of more than 1,000 pounds of poached antlers, valued at roughly $18,000,” the FWS press release reads. “Illegally collecting and selling antlers is a violation of the federal Lacey Act, which prohibits the transportation and sale of illegally obtained wildlife. The state of Wyoming also forbids off-season antler collection from public lands west of the Continental Divide.”
While shed hunting is legal during season west of the Divide, antler hunting is strictly prohibited on the National Elk Refuge at all times. According to court documents, Cox and his co-defendant Stanley Cox attempted to “transport and sell 148 shed elk antlers and two bull elk skulls having a market value in excess of $350,” between April 18 and May 7 of 2023.
The pair were charged with two counts of attempted unlawful transportation and sale of illegally possessed wildlife, which could come with a 10-year prison sentence and upwards of $40,000 in fines.
With the price of antler continuing to climb for manufacturers to make dog toys, knife handles and a lot more, the question is, are the fines enough to deter the criminals?
With enough profit at stake, it looks as though many are willing to take the risk.
In the meantime, officials at state agencies are stepping up to the best of their abilities to slow down trespassers and illegal hunters, recognizing that this is a problem that is unlikely to go away any time soon.
“These types of violations are an ongoing problem, as the market value of antlers keeps going up, we are experiencing more theft and trespassing on the Elk Refuge,” David Bonham, FWS regional chief of refuge law enforcement, says in the FWS press release. “The opening of the shed antler season is a big deal out here, for quite a while. We send 5 to 7 additional officers to the Refuge for this event each year to serve as first responders. Our goal is to make sure everyone stays safe and prepared for whatever the conditions may be.”
