An Idaho man recently received his just desserts after a slew of wildlife infractions that authorities were able to identify because of his shockingly careless attempt to dispose of the evidence.
According to an Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG) press release, the investigation began in early October 2024 when a local rancher came upon a cardboard box filled with deer hide, bones, hooves, and blood—well before the season opened. The rancher reported the box to a local IDFG officer, who soon realized that the box actually still had a shipping label affixed to it containing a local address. Seriously.
The officer went to that address and met with property owner Carl Van Loon of Cottonwood, Idaho. Initially, Van Loon denied that the box belonged to him. Then, presented with the label, he claimed someone must have taken it from his dumpster. The officer, unsurprisingly, told Van Loon that he doubted that was the case and suspected he would find fresh deer meat in Van Loon’s coolers, which prompted the man to admit to illegally poaching the deer 12 days before the season and without any valid hunting license or tag. The IDFG officer seized the meat and antlers and issued a citation.
But Van Loon’s mind-numbingly bad decisions didn’t end there. The next day, the same IDFG officer was patrolling the area when he heard a rifle shot from Van Loon’s property. Upon arriving, he found a hunting blind set up near a salt block, water trough, and feeder, despite baiting for elk and deer being illegal in the state.
After executing a search warrant, the IDFG officer found more evidence of baiting, as well as photos and texts with evidence of multiple poached deer and an illegally taken moose. Van Loon eventually took a plea deal that resulted in 10 days of incarceration, $10,000 in civil penalties, and a lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping ban.
“What do you care what I do on my own property?” Van Loon had told the IDFG during his initial interview with a fish and game officer. “I’m not hurting nobody by grabbing deer and putting them in my freezer.”
However, as an IDFG spokesperson put it, “wildlife belongs to all of us. By taking game illegally, Van Loon was stealing wildlife from his neighbors who enjoyed viewing them. Van Loon was stealing the chance for Idaho sportspersons to be allowed a legal opportunity for fair and ethical chase under Idaho’s game laws.”
And after trying to dispose of the evidence in a box with his own address on it…it’s no surprise he got caught.
Featured images via IDFG.
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