BOISE – Two Boise men have lost their hunting privileges for a decade after poaching three elk.
The incident occurred back in mid-October, when Derek Smith, 41, of Boise, failed to stop at a Fish and Game check station in Boise County, a finable offense. He was pulled over, and it was there Smith claimed to have killed a cow elk on a controlled hunt antlerless elk tag earlier in the hunting season. He later changed his story.
Further investigation uncovered additional evidence linking Smith with Joseph Eden, 38, of Boise, and search warrants were eventually secured for the residences of both men.
Hidden in a storeroom of Smith’s residence, officers discovered a 6 x 7 set of antlers from an elk poached earlier in the year by Smith. Officers also learned that Smith had killed a spike elk using a centerfire rifle during the 2008 archery season.
Officers searching the Eden residence found Eden in the process of butchering the bull elk that belonged to the 6 x 7 set of elk antlers seized from Smith’s residence. Officers also discovered evidence of a cow elk poached by Eden during the 2008 elk hunting season.
Even though the elk were poached in Boise County, Smith and Eden were charged with unlawful possession of big game animals in Ada County.
In their original court appearance on October 28, both men pled not guilty to the poaching charges.
On December 16 the two men appeared in Ada County Court, where they changed their plea to guilty.
Smith received a 10-year hunting license revocation, fines, restitution to Fish and Game, jail time and two years probation.
Joseph Eden received a 10-year hunting license revocation, fines, restitution to Fish and Game, jail time and two years probation.
Separate charges of transferring elk tags were dismissed in the plea agreement.
