Three Men From Missouri Sentenced on Idaho Poaching Charges

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)-Three young men from Missouri have been handed sentences for poaching-related crimes in Custer and Blaine Counties. According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Grifen Whiteside, 21, Dylan Davidson, 25, and Sydney Wallace, 20, were sentenced recently following a big tip to the Citizens Against Poaching hotline. The result, all three men won't be hunting or fishing for some time.

The long investigation started in 2019 when a conservation officer found a dead pronghorn near Pettit Lake Road, south of Stanley in August. At first, the Idaho Fish and Game officer thought the animal had been hit by a vehicle, but after further investigation discovered the animal had been shot with a small-caliber weapon. The officer was unable to find any other evidence that could link someone to the crime, no bullets or shell casings, no physical evidence other than the whole carcass left to waste, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

After information of the incident was sent out to media, Idaho Fish and Game got a big lead when witnesses called the Citizens Against Poaching Hotline. The tip revealed the three men had gone on a shooting spree and actually had images of the men committing the crimes. The videos revealed other animals had been shot at in the Stanley Basin and included the men shooting at 15 pronghorn and an estimated 10 deer. After further investigation, Idaho Fish and Game Officers discovered the three men killed two pronghorn, two red fox, a duck, an osprey, three chipmunks, two ground squirrels, and even a Chinook salmon. “It seems the three shot at anything that moved. It was a shocking reminder of what some people are capable of,” said Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officer Malcolm Clemenhagen said in a prepared statement.

As a result, Whiteside and Davidson pled guilty to six misdemeanors in Custer County and both got a 15-year revocation of their hunting license. Plus, the two served 14 days in jail and received 10 years of probation and fined $2,325. Wallace was given a one year hunting, fishing and trapping license revocation and fined $715. Davidson was handed an additional sentence for violating his probation while his court case was ongoing. He wasn't supposed to hunt, fish or trap anywhere in the United States, but Missouri conservation officers found out he had harvested a deer and several ducks. As a result, his plea deal in Blaine County means he will no longer be able to hunt, fish or trap in the state of Idaho. In addition he will serve 30 days in jail, three additional years of probation and pay $7,700 in fines, penalties and restitution.

Idaho Fish and Game noted that the three men's terms are enforced in all lower 48 states, meaning they wont be hunting or fishing anywhere in the country according to their sentences.