Kellogg man convicted of poaching trophy bull moose

A Kellogg man has been convicted of illegally killing a bull moose in North Idaho last fall and leaving it to waste. 

Raymond A. Black pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to the shooting of a  moose in the middle of a Forest Service road last November near Wold Lodge Saddle, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. 

Black didn’t have a moose tag. Moose are a “once-in-a-lifetime” species in Idaho, which means hunters who draw a moose tag can only do so once, according to the Fish and Game news release. 

After he killed the moose, Black tried to load it into his truck but got stuck in the snow. He hiked out to get help and was picked up by two other hunters. 

When Black got back to his vehicle and got it unstuck, he left the moose behind, according to the release. 

The hunters who picked Black up were suspicious of his story, according to the release. They recorded his license plate number and submitted a tip to Fish and Game’s Citizens Against Poaching hotline, which led to an investigation and a search warrant for Black’s home.

Fish and Game’s conservation officers found the rifle used to kill the moose and other evidence at the house.

A Kootenai County District Court judge earlier this month sentenced Black to six months in jail and ordered him to pay a $1,500 fine, $10,000 in restitution, $250 in meat processing fees and $245 in court costs.

He also received a lifetime revocation of hunting and trapping privileges in Idaho, which will apply in all U.S. states except Hawaii.