WYOMING – Last fall, South Riverton Game Warden Brad Gibb, received a stop poaching tip about some questionable activity around Rock Creek Mountain deer area 90. Warden Gibb met with the reporting party, investigated the area, and found a mule deer buck that had been shot and left.
The reporting party provided very descriptive and helpful information including license plate number, physical descriptions of suspects, type and caliber of rifles and type and make of scopes.
Warden Gibb located the owner of the vehicle and obtained a search warrant for multiple residences and vehicles. A group of wardens and investigators conducted interviews and served search warrants. During initial interviews, both suspects admitted to elk hunting in the area but denied shooting at a mule deer.
Two rifles were seized during searches but neither matched the caliber of the bullet found in the dead mule deer. Another interview was conducted with the primary suspect at his residence to get more information.
Soon, the suspect began to ask questions of the potential penalties he would be charged if he admitted to the incident. After this discussion, the suspect called his attorney to discuss options. He then returned and confessed to shooting the mule deer buck without a license in deer area 90 and then produced the firearm the deer had been shot with. This firearm/scope combination matched the description provided by the reporting party.
On February 9, 2018, Nick Strickland of Riverton, pled guilty and was charged with one count of intentionally shooting an antlered mule deer without a license. He was sentenced to a $1,000 fine, $4,000 in restitution, and the loss of his hunting privilege for three years. He also may not be in possession of firearms or be around anyone with firearms for one year. He forfeited the rifle used in the crime.
