Investigation exposes black market hunting tag scheme and group harassing wildlife with helicopter

TWIN FALLS — An electrical institution executive and a aviator person been charged aft they reportedly harassed wildlife pinch a helicopter, illegally sold hunting tags and overmuch more.

According to tribunal filings, Karl Studer, 43, was charged pinch 3 felonies: 1 count of unlawful possession of wildlife, and 2 counts of felony unlawful sidesplitting aliases wasting wildlife. He was besides charged pinch 17 misdemeanors and Fish and Game violations for:

• Taking much than a lawful container aliases possessing much than 1 deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bighorn sheep, upland goat, achromatic bear, aliases grey wolf.
• Molesting crippled animals aliases birds pinch a motorized conveyance aliases unmanned aircraft.
• Hunting to spot aliases pass nan location of wildlife from an aircraft.
• Interfering pinch hunting, sportfishing and predator control.
• Criminal inducement to perpetrate a crime.
• Outfitting and guiding without a license.

The word “molest” refers to nan annoying, disturbing, chasing, pursuing after, stalking aliases lying successful hold for, livestock aliases home animals, according to Law Insider.

Police reports opportunity Studer owns 3 String Cattle Company Ranch and is nan president of electrical astatine Quantra. The company website says Studer is simply a “co-founder of Probst Electric and Summit Line Construction, Inc., operating companies acquired by Quanta Services successful 2013.”

Probst Electric and Summit Line Construction are some based successful Heber, Utah.

Kevin Sielaff, 48, was charged pinch 8 misdemeanors for molesting crippled animals aliases birds pinch a motorized conveyance aliases unmanned aircraft, hunting to spot aliases pass nan location of wildlife from an aircraft, and interference pinch hunting, sportfishing and predator control.

Sielaff flies for Alpine Aviation LLC, according to tribunal documents.

Several others were besides charged pinch misdemeanors related to nan allegations.

Allegations

In a probable origin affidavit, a elder conservation serviceman pinch nan Idaho Department of Fish and Game says Sielaff and Studer “hunt(ed), scouted for wildlife pinch nan chopper and during galore scouting trips molested wildlife pinch said helicopter.”

Court documents opportunity Studer hired Sielaff to return him scouting for large crippled animals via helicopter.

The serviceman writes that, according to aggregate invoices, Sielaff was paid astir $133,500 to alert Probst Electric labor truthful they could sprout coyotes.

Officials besides opportunity Studer “killed 2 trophy bull elk” and “failed to instantly tag them arsenic required by law.”

Studer besides allegedly “continued to hunt aft sidesplitting nan 2 elk, taking a third, and continuing to hunt moreover aft that, attempting to overlimit connected elk.”

Officials besides declare location is grounds of “the unlawful marketing, sale, and inducement for Landowner Appreciation Program (LAP) tags involving 2 men named Rodney Gonsales and Ryan Smith, trading and trading tags and Studer soliciting those tags.”

What happened successful 2023?

Illegal trading of hunting tags

The 66-page affidavit specifications a plethora of allegations, including that successful 2023, Studer spent $114,920 connected chances to triumph “super tags.” These are sold connected a lottery-based system, and Studer ended up winning tags for deer, pronghorns, moose, elk, achromatic bears, upland lions, achromatic bears, 2 grey wolves, an elk muzzleloader and a cervid LAP.

According to nan report, Studer paid astatine slightest $153,000 to aggregate group for hunting tags, which are nontransferable and forbidden to sell.

The serviceman reportedly recovered galore matter messages showing they knew trading nan hunting tags was unlawful.

“During (a) matter exchange, Smith says, ‘We want to support nan landowner to ourselves,’ to which Studer responds, ‘Agreed, let’s time off it very quiet’ and Smith responds, ‘It’s a bully assets and don’t want anyone other to find out. Thanks,'” writes nan officer.

On Aug. 1, Smith allegedly texted Studer, “I didn’t extremity up getting immoderate cervid tags this year. If you person immoderate firearm tags available, I’d bargain 1 from you.”

Studer replied, “I’ll spot what firearm cervid tags I have. I deliberation we only sewage 1 of nan 52 tags. My Dad mightiness termination maine if I fto that go.”

Three days later, matter messages bespeak Smith went to Studer’s location to bargain tags.

Paying for unlawful hunting guiding

According to tribunal documents, Studer provided a man named Landon Sielaff pinch a Starlink truthful he could besides guideline him toward animals for hunting while moving remotely for his full-time job.

Text messages show aft Landon told Studer he would deliberation astir guiding for him, Studer replied, “$$ – I’ll make it activity it for ya.”

Studer besides reportedly provided Landon pinch “hunting gear, a phone, a spotting scope, tripods, a telephone scope and a spot to stay.”

On Nov. 11, 2022, Landon texted Studer, “Hey karl, speedy mobility for you. Are you going to 1099 maine aliases is everything nether nan table? I’m trying to fig retired what taxes are going look for illustration pinch nan other income.”

Studer reportedly replied, “No, 1099 – conscionable nether nan table.”

Helicopter molesting wildlife

On July 30, a man reported that he was adjacent Mormon Reservoir looking for cervid erstwhile he saw a “red chopper pinch a achromatic stripe travel from nan eastbound and statesman circling astir a butte connected SV Ranch spot by nan gravel pit.”

The chopper flew toward a crowd of cervid that started moving and divided into 2 groups. According to tribunal documents, nan chopper followed nan cervid for a mile and a half and was 200 yards disconnected nan ground.

Three much witnesses said to police, who said they took photos of nan chopper while it was molesting nan deer.

One of nan witnesses described nan incident arsenic “groups of cervid acting flurried astir and panicked erstwhile nan chopper circled them.”

The serviceman wished Sielaff owned nan chopper owed to nan explanation and tail number.

They further tied nan allegations to some Sielaff and Studer from their compartment telephone GPS data, including a video recovered successful Studer’s unreality relationship reportedly showing nan chopper “stirring up a group of cervid and past pursuing aft a ample subordinate that is moving from nan helicopter.”

On Aug. 11, nan serviceman recovered much videos, this clip successful Sielaff’s unreality account, showing respective images and videos of a chopper “clearly harassing aggregate deer, astir of which are ample trophy people mule deer,” according to tribunal documents.

Officers recovered matter messages betwixt Studer, Sielaff and different man, Brandon Wilcox, connected Aug. 10 and 11. The messages discussed departure times to molest nan animals and alerted each different to erstwhile they saw animals some connected nan crushed and successful nan helicopter.

At 1 point, Wilcox messaged nan group, “WE F****** FOUND HIM!!” to which Studer replied, “Where is that b**** at??” Wilcox responded pinch nan location and said “That mother Ffer needs to die.”

Officials received much complaints from different individuals astir nan chopper molesting animals connected Aug. 12, 14 and 24; Sept. 1; Oct. 1 and 14; and Nov. 2 and 18, 2023.

Illegally keeping a live, injured pronghorn buck

Officials opportunity they recovered 2 videos proving that Studer illegally possessed a unrecorded pronghorn subordinate aft it was shot.

Court documents opportunity nan videos were recovered successful Studer’s iCloud account, showing “a pronghorn gasping pinch its caput up successful nan backmost of a brownish Toyota truck.” Studer is allegedly heard successful nan inheritance while nan animal is gasping, saying, “Do you deliberation you should spell location and bent astatine nan ranch?” He besides claims he changeable nan buck.

In matter messages, Studer claims he changeable nan animal, it passed out, and past woke up successful nan backmost of his truck.

EastIdahoNews.com contacted nan Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs, who declined to comment. We besides contacted nan Magic Valley Region Fish and Game Regional Office, who besides declined to comment.

We besides contacted Studer’s attorney, Charles Peterson, arsenic good arsenic Sielaff’s attorney, Michael Bartlett, and near some messages, but we person not heard backmost from either.

Court proceedings

Studer is expected to look successful tribunal connected Wednesday successful Twin Falls County. If convicted, he could look astatine slightest 15 years successful prison.

Sielaff pleaded not blameworthy to each charges connected Aug. 15, and is expected to look for a preliminary proceeding connected Oct. 16.

Though each suspects person been charged pinch these crimes, it does not needfully mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed guiltless until they are proven guilty.