YELLOWSTONE COUNTY, Mont. – 22-year-old Brandon Schuhen of Yellowstone County has been charged with 5 felony counts of unlawful possession, shipping, or transportation of trophy big game animal.
A Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) investigation showed on October 6, 2017, FWP Game Warden Conner Langel received a call of a decapitated bull elk on a property just off Sarpy Creek Road.
FWP released a press release seeking information from the public.
According to court documents, on October 15, 2017, Warden Langel spoke with a witness, who advised that he had been at a party on October 11, 2017, at the home of Schuhen.
There the witness observed three freshly skinned bull elk skulls.
The witness advised that Schuhen said he killed all three bull elk around Hardin, Montana.
Warden Langel looked into Schuhen’s FWP license history and any public social media accounts he had.
Warden Langel found numerous posts on Schuhen’s Instagram and Facebook accounts displaying two dead turkeys and three dead bull elk .
During the check of Schuhen’s licenses, Wadren Langel discovered the defendant did not have a valid turkey license or elk license for 2017.
Warden Langel met with Criminal Investigator, Lee Burroughs, Warden Sergeant Chris Anderson, and Warden Skyler Mitchell to discuss his investigation.
The group, while discussing the case, pulled up Schuhen’s social media accounts and saw a new post displaying a dead antelope buck for which he did not have a license for.
On October 15, 2017, the warden’s responded to Schuhen’s home to contact him.
Court documents state the group encountered a witness as he was leaving the residence. He advised the wardens Schuhen was inside the home with two others.
Burroughs and Langel approached the front of the home and Mitchell went to the back.
As Warden Mitchell approached the back of the home he saw Schuhen running from the house carrying three buck antelope skulls.
Warden Mitchell was able to stop Schuhen and Investigator Burroughs read Schuhen his Miranda rights.
Schuhen agreed to speak with Burroughs providing conflicting accounts of how he came in possession of the various animals.
After a lengthy conversation Schuhen admitted to the following which occured during the 2017 hunting seasons:
- Schuhen shot and killed two turkeys, removed the breasts, and took the meat to his residence
- Schuhen shot and killed two antelope bucks and brought them back to his residence
- Schuhen shot a 6×4 mule deer buck and brought it back to his residence; and
- Schuhen shot three bull elk (5×6 bull, 6×6 bull, with broken 7th tine, and 6×6 bull with drop brow tine), had not tagged any of them, and had three skulls at his residence at one time or another.
- Burroughs and Langel seized the skulls, meat, and other evidence of the unlawfully taken game on the premises, as well as the 5×6 bull elk stored at Schuhen’s parent’s bar in Spring Creek.
On October 20, 2017, Warden Langel met with Schuhen again and requested Schuhen take him to the kill sites of the unlawfully taken animals.
Schuhen took Warden Langel to kill sites for the 6×6 bull elk with drop brow tine, the 6×4 mule deer buck, the 6×6 bull elk with a broken seventh tine, the 5×6 bull elk and both antelope bucks but did not take him to the kill site of the two turkeys.
While showing Langel the kill sites, Schuhen recounted each hunt and sent numerous images of the unlawfully killed animals via text messages to Warden Langel.
If convicted Schuhen faces up to 25 years in prison, $250,000 fine, or both, as well as forefeiture of hunting/fishing/trapping privileges for at least 3 years, up to a lifetime.