Not only did Black not have a moose tag—which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in The Gem State—but he shot the moose with a high-powered rifle while it was standing on a U.S. Forest Service Road. It’s illegal to shoot on or across a forest service road.
Then Black got himself into a pickle. He attempted to load the dead moose into his vehicle, but got the vehicle stuck in the snow in the process of doing so. Black walked out of the backcountry and was picked up by two hunters.
According to IDFG officials, Black told the hunters about killing the bull moose. However, the hunters found his tale suspicious and noticed inconsistencies in it. They were able to note his license plate.
Black returned to his vehicle, freed it from the snow, and then left the scene, abandoning the bull moose to rot. In the meantime, the two hunters who’d helped him out promptly reported Black through the IDFG Citizens Against Poaching hotline.
IDFG wardens got a warrant and searched Black’s residence in Kellogg, Idaho, confiscating a rifle and other evidence. Black eventually pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unlawful killing, possession, or wasting of wildlife. The charge was a felony because the moose’s “reimbursable damage amount” was over $1,000 in Idaho; moose are considered a trophy species with a $10,000 reimbursable damage assessment.
Black was sentenced in the Kootenai County District Court on July 8, 2025. He faces six months in county jail, $1,500 in fines, $10,000 in restitution, $250 in meat processing fees, $245 in court costs, and a lifetime hunting and trapping ban in Idaho that also applies to all U.S. states except for Hawaii.
“Fish and Game is especially grateful to the individuals who reported the crime,” wrote an IDFG spokesperson. “Their prompt and responsible actions played a crucial role in holding the violator accountable and helped in protecting Idaho’s treasured wildlife resources.”
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