Montana officials have issued a warrant for the arrest of a father and son from southeastern Michigan after the pair allegedly broke a series of laws while poaching a trophy bull elk in Treasure County. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced the warrant on August 13.
Ronald Schubert and his son Chad, both of Belleville, Michigan, have been charged with felonies and misdemeanors for alleged crimes at practically every step of the incident: trespassing on private land to kill the bull, shooting the bull with a rifle during archery season, lacking the proper permit for Hunting District 702, then wasting much of the carcass in the field after removing the head and antlers. Authorities also charged Chad for tampering with physical evidence and failure to return to a kill site.
The investigation began when the Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office notified FWP game wardens of concerns regarding the Schuberts. Warden Kyle Queer conducted what FWP referred to as an “extensive investigation” into the incident, eventually piecing together that Chad had allegedly shot the bull. Ronald was also reportedly present at the time of the poaching, and helped his son remove the head and antlers from the kill site.
Chad faces other pending charges related to deer, antelope, turkey, and mountain lion hunts in Rosebud County, as well. If found guilty, the Schuberts could face up to $60,000 in fines and restitution for their various violations, as well as imprisonment in a county detention center and loss of hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges. Such loss of privilege is reciprocated by all 50 state wildlife agencies through the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which means they’d lose the ability to hunt, fish, and trap everywhere, including their home state.
A photo issued with the press release shows two men standing over a 6X6 bull, one holding the bull’s antlers and the other placing one foot on the elk’s body with a hand planted on his hip. An FWP Facebook post sharing the photo and news was met with gratitude toward the investigating wardens and immense anger from hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. Some were especially upset that the photo had been cropped to only show the men from the chest down, hiding their faces.
Read Next: More Than Half a Dozen Suspects Charged in Multi-Year Elk and Mule Deer Poaching Spree
“Show their faces,” wrote one commenter. “Proud enough to take a grip and grin with a poached bull. Let's see it!” Another commenter had a different takeaway: “Moral of the story—don’t be like Ronald and Chad.”
