Dayton man violates wildlife rules of Wild Horse Island
POACHING -- A Dayton man has been banned from Wild Horse Island in Flathead Lake and lost his hunting privileges for three years for hunting violations and illegally collecting bighorn sheep horns.
The Missoulian reports that Michael Filipek pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing bighorn sheep horns that came from Wild Horse, and to illegally killing a bobcat and mountain lion. The killings did not take place on the island.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Game officials say Filipek picked up two bighorn ram heads and moved them out of plain view. He did not keep the horns, but it is illegal to pick up bighorn sheep horns anywhere in Montana.
When investigators visited Filipek’s house, they found a set of bighorn sheep horns he had previously taken from Wild Horse Island.