Dedicated hunters often boast of their love for the sport and admiration for their prey’s survival skills. However, while it’s always nice to bring home game at the end of the day, it’s even better when the latest score is also a trophy. However, sometimes, when scoring the trophy outweighs the reward of bringing home a few good meals, it can lead to a world of trouble. Just ask one Montana trophy moose poacher as he just received a lifetime ban on hunting and trapping.
According to USA Today, 41-year-old Shiloh Berry pleaded guilty last fall for illegally killing a trophy-sized moose in 2019, unlawfully possessing and wasting a game animal. As a result, the MT hunter received a lifetime ban for hunting and trapping within the state on Friday in Broadwater County Court District.
However, the hunting ban marks just one of several intense consequences that accompanied Berry’s illegal actions. As per Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, the perpetrator also saw a three-year fishing ban. He is also required to pay $12,100 in restitution, alongside a suspended five-year jail sentence.
The onslaught of legal action follows Berry’s earlier admittance of the crime. Previous investigations revealed his truck tires and boot prints at the scene of the moose’s decapitation. Reports initially came regarding the animal’s location in November 2019. Game wardens then later received a tip regarding the poacher’s possession of a massive moose rack in April 2020.
In total, the trophy moose’s spread measured 56 inches across.
Brown Bear Takes Down 18 Moose
Poaching is definitely a major problem in the hunting community. The demise of such powerful and mesmerizing creatures like moose is disheartening, especially when the game isn’t used to its full extent, nor obtained legally. However, while the MT poacher faces major repercussions for his actions, a vengeful brown bear went on quite the rampage, massacring 18 moose in a single month. However, we won’t be confronting this capable killer any time soon.
As per Live Science, the ravenous bear is a “highly predatory” 13-year-old female. The moose murderer (no pun intended) is one of 15 brown bears researchers in Sweden are currently studying. Their observation of the predatory beasts serves to better demonstrate how the animals use their landscape in regard to survival. Their study also aims to determine the bears’ kill rates. The study found that average bears see a score of 0.4 kills a day.
Therefore, the bear’s hunting rampage sets it outside the average range.
Further, the researchers found that post-hibernation, brown bears actually change habitats, targeting reindeer and moose calves. The highly predatory bear aforementioned not only snagged an impressive 18 total moose, but she also claimed the lives of 38 reindeer calves.
Additionally, what makes the female bear’s hunting habits more interesting is that scientists found females are more likely to kill more reindeer and moose calves than males.
