Montana Poaching Ring Cracks Open — Two Down, Two to Go 🧑‍⚖️
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• Feature: Montana Trophy Poaching Ring Cracks Open
• Predator Watch: Wolves Move Easy in Fresh Snow
• Tag Tracker: December Deadlines & Point Reminders
• Gear Drop: 3 Cold-Weather Picks for Late Season
• Field Notes: “The Moment You Know You Blew It”
• Weekend Video
• Poll

Montana wardens spent three years quietly piecing together what they called one of the most brazen trophy-poaching operations in recent memory — and this week, the first real hammer dropped.

Two of the four men tied to the case have now pleaded guilty, racking up over $21,000 in fines, probation, and jail time. The remaining two are still in negotiations as prosecutors finalize the final stretch of the case.

This whole thing began the same way many poaching cases do these days:
anonymous tips + social media bravado = trouble coming.

According to investigative records and affidavits, the group targeted high-value animals in tightly controlled districts — mature bulls, high-demand tags, and private-land elk they had no permission to access.
Multiple kills were allegedly made:

Wardens say the evidence trail stretched across multiple counties, multiple years, and at least 14 illegally taken big-game animals.

The two men who pled this week took their licks in court. The other two?
Their trial dates were vacated — meaning final plea deals may be imminent.

When this story closes out, it’ll likely mark one of the most complete takedowns of a trophy-poaching crew in modern Montana history.

You can bet we’ll follow it until all four are accounted for.

Fresh snow across Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming means two things:

This is the time of year you’ll find wolf tracks cutting clean, straight lines across drainages — no meandering, no hesitation. Wolves cover country when snow sets up firm, and right now the conditions are perfect for following a line until it ends with eyes or fur.

Quick weekend tips:
• Look for single-file tracks—a dead giveaway you’ve got wolves, not dogs.
• Focus on south-facing benches where elk stack up.
• If you’re calling, stay on stand longer than usual. Cold air carries sound farther.

If you get out this weekend, send us pics.

Nonresident deer, elk, and antelope points must be purchased before year-end.

Most units are thin, but a few youth/controlled opportunities still cycle.

• Antelope shoulder seasons continue
• Elk shoulder seasons active in select districts
• Cow tags still circulating in a few private-access areas — check updates daily

Stay on it — late-season windows come and go fast.

(Everything below has working, direct links.)

One of the best late-season midlayers still made. Quiet, warm, and built for long sits.
👉 https://www.sitkagear.com/products/mens-fanatic-hoody

Cold-weather reliable with a lock mode so it doesn’t burn batteries in your pack.
👉 https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/spot-400-headlamp-BD6206960004ALL1.html

Late season = cold hands. Replaceable blades matter when you don’t want to fight sharpening on a ridge.
👉 https://www.outdooredge.com/products/razorpro

There’s a moment every hunter knows…
You freeze, replay the last 10 minutes in your mind, and realize you flat-out blew the shot you never should’ve rushed.

Yesterday I was thinking back to a late-season Idaho buck I bumped years ago. I knew better. Wind was wrong, pace was too quick, and I convinced myself he’d still be feeding around the corner like he hadn’t survived five seasons of other guys making the same mistake.

He was gone before I even lifted my binos.

Those moments sting, but they build a kind of season-long humility most folks don’t talk about. Hunting teaches you a lot, but late season? It teaches patience the hard way.

This weekend, slow down. Let the country settle. Let yourself settle.

The buck you’re after already knows the difference.

A black bear decides a fisherman’s catch belongs to him.
Wild clip — worth 15 seconds of your morning.
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fake-link-taxman (replace with your clip URL)

Get outside this weekend. Freeze a little. Slow down.
Western Vantage will be here Monday morning with fresh tag updates, more predator news, and the stories worth knowing in the West.