Hunters face charges following investigations into poaching, harassment of wild animals and illegal sale of hunting licenses

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – A Rupert man is believed to be at the center of a criminal conspiracy to commit violations of Idaho hunting laws, according to a detailed criminal complaint.

• Several men are facing charges of poaching, illegally selling hunting licenses and harassing wildlife with motorized vehicles.
• Responsible hunters have reported reports of low-flying helicopters being used to herd moose and deer away from other hunters or in directions where they themselves can find better hunting opportunities.
• A 46-page affidavit in support of the criminal complaint details how investigators used cell phone location data, flight logs and photographs from hunting trips to identify and confirm several violations of Idaho hunting laws.

(Below is the transcript of the broadcast report.)

A Rupert man is facing a long list of criminal charges. Investigators with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game say his interest in hunting led him to rig the cards in his favor … by using a helicopter to illegally harass deer and other hunters.

“There were definitely a lot of red helicopters flying over us. We recorded a lot of it,” Hoby Gartner told me.

I met with Gartner, a guide and outfitter who owns South Hill Lodge and Deadline Outfitters.

Hoby holds the hunting guide permit for the entire Game Reserve 54 and says he has seen other people’s hunts ruined by the aggressive behavior of the helicopters.

“You can see what it’s about,” Gartner said. “You can see what they’re looking for. I’ve personally taken some shots that… I really can’t believe this didn’t come to a head a long time ago.”

The case against Karl Studer has become a hot topic in Idaho’s outdoor community.

I have the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, which is 45 pages long and lays out the specific circumstances that led to 5 felony charges and 15 misdemeanor charges.

After receiving several tips from hunters who reported seeing a red helicopter with white accents driving game, as well as tips from hunters whose hunts had been spoiled by the helicopter’s behavior, fFsh and Game launched an investigation that they say uncovered the illegal sale and purchase of non-transferable hunting licenses.

Studer made his first court appearance last week, where he was formally read the charges, which include five serious felonies – four counts of unlawful killing, unlawful possession or waste of wildlife and one count of unlawful possession – all relating to incidents in 2023.

The charges also include 15 misdemeanors, including four counts of criminal incitement to commit a crime and six counts of harassing wildlife with a motorized vehicle.

Other men are also facing charges for their alleged role in the crimes.

Gartner, who grew up in Filer and has hunted in the South Hills all his life, hopes other hunters will follow state laws so the outdoors can be enjoyed by all.

“These marks take a lifetime to draw, you know, and when I look at them, I think it’s the last day for bow and arrow elk hunting, and they just flew away in the last two hours. I can’t imagine what the guy was feeling,” Gartner said.