Enforcement

Maine Game Wardens arrested Devin Lafrance, 21, of Waterboro and charged him with aggravated assault, reckless ATV operation, and failing to stop and identify after he struck and dragged a landowner on Pequawket Lake Road in Limington on June 2. The arrest followed multiple public tips, video evidence, and trail camera footage that helped investigators identify the ATV and rider.

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating the death of an adult male recovered from the St. Joseph River in South Bend on Wednesday evening. The South Bend Fire Department, South Bend Police, and Indiana Conservation Officers responded to the scene at 700 Riverside Drive. The cause of death has not yet been determined.

Tony Zimbelman, 23, was sentenced to suspended jail time, $3,000 in fines, and a two-year hunting privilege revocation for illegally shooting a trophy white-tailed buck with a rifle before archery season opened in September 2025. The Boone & Crockett-scored deer was discovered following a tip from a concerned citizen to Montana game wardens.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will auction confiscated antlers, hides, horns, mounts and skulls from poaching incidents on June 27 at MetraPark in Billings. National Auction will conduct the live event, with proceeds supporting FWP's conservation and restoration programs.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is hosting one-day Junior Game Warden Camps across the Commonwealth for youths ages 12 to 15. Campers will spend the day with Pennsylvania State Game Wardens learning about wildlife forensics, poacher detection, wildlife-capture techniques, and outdoor survival skills through hands-on activities and confidence-building exercises.

Indiana Conservation Officers, along with Indiana State Police and volunteer fire departments, rescued three people from floodwater in Ripley County after they attempted to drive through rising water. All occupants were safely removed and treated at the scene. Conservation Officers remind the public to never drive through floodwater.

Christopher Allman, 20, of North Vernon, drowned at Crosley Lake after a pickup truck he was backing down the boat ramp entered the water. His passenger escaped safely, but Allman went under and did not resurface. Indiana Conservation Officers recovered his body at 1:12 a.m.

Grayson Mote, 20, of Ellsworth, Maine, who went missing while paddleboarding on Graham Lake on May 5th, was located deceased this evening approximately 2/10 mile from shore. An intensive search involving Maine Warden Service, Ellsworth Police Department, Ellsworth Fire Department, Maine Marine Patrol, Maine State Police, and the Maine Forest Service had been underway.

Indiana Conservation Officers are seeking information about two AXIS Model 30 track chairs and Vietnam War-era helmets stolen from Fort Harrison State Park during break-ins on April 30-May 1. A $5,500 reward is offered jointly by a private donor and the Indiana Parks Alliance for information leading to recovery and arrests.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources honors 17 fallen conservation officers during National Police Week (May 11-17). The Michigan Conservation Officers Association and DNR dedicated a memorial at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center in Roscommon, recently adding Conservation Officer Paul Durham as the 17th officer after historians discovered records of his 1972 death.

Maine Game Warden Pilot Josh Tibbetts, 50, of New Gloucester was killed when a Maine Warden Service airplane crashed in Avon on May 12. Tibbetts had served as a Maine Game Warden for 18 years, including three years as a warden service pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

Five northern Michigan anglers were cited for possessing 34 walleye—more than double the six-fish daily limit—while fishing the Detroit River. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division acting captain Todd Szyska emphasized the importance of respecting daily limits to maintain the world-class walleye fishery.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' TIPMONT board approved $48,553 in total fines and $28,100 in reward money for 2025, with 153 total charges resulting in 66 years of lost hunting privileges. The program encourages public reporting of poaching crimes including illegal shed hunting, vandalism, and resource theft.

Juan Garcia-Gomez of Bozeman pleaded guilty to multiple hunting violations after a witness recorded video evidence of him shooting a mule deer buck from a public highway near Jeffers in November. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Madison County Sheriff's Office coordinated the investigation, resulting in $1,100 in fines and a 24-month hunting and fishing privilege suspension.

Hyatt Voy was sentenced to 102 days in the Fergus County Detention Center for poaching a trophy mule deer buck during the 2024 hunting season. The Lewistown realtor also received a seven-year suspension of hunting privileges across Montana and 48 Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact member states, plus $8,000 restitution.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating five bald eagle deaths found in Delta County's Garden Peninsula between April 3-17. The DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and local tribes are working together to solve the case, with tipsters eligible for cash rewards through the DNR's Report All Poaching Hotline at 800-292-7800.

Jerry "Trey" Truitt III of Tennessee received a lifetime loss of hunting and fishing privileges after pleading no contest to five poaching counts in Ravalli County, Montana. Truitt was convicted of unlawful possession of wildlife, hunting without a license, criminal trespass, and hunting during closed season. Game Wardens Taylor Gagnon, Shane Yaskus, Lou Royce, and Jake Pickens led investigations resulting in multiple convictions across Ravalli and Lake Counties.

The Maine Warden Service and Maine Air National Guard rescued Anna Troxell, a severely hypothermic hiker on Bigelow Mountain's Appalachian Trail, in a multi-agency operation. After ground rescue teams reached Troxell and her hiking partner David Piccioni, an Air National Guard Black Hawk helicopter hoisted both from the snow-covered summit at approximately 6:45 a.m. on April 21st.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources graduated 48 park rangers on April 3 from its newly consolidated Ranger Academy at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center in Roscommon. The nine-week program combined commissioned and noncommissioned ranger training for the first time, covering law enforcement, facilities management, and public safety. Chuck Allen, Parks and Recreation Division Strategic Operations Section chief, praised the graduates' preparation for diverse duties serving Michigan's state parks and recreation areas.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game wardens are investigating multiple incidents of ducks shot with blow darts at Shiloh Conservation Ponds and Rose Park in Billings. Blow darts are not a lawful means of taking migratory birds in Montana. The public is encouraged to report information to tipmont.mt.gov for potential rewards up to $1,000.