NDOW: Three sentenced in elk poaching, obstruction

Game wardens have closed the case of two Utah residents, sentenced for the illegal killing and possession of elk in both Nevada and Utah. The case spanned several years, three states, and a multitude of charges and poached animals.

The case stemmed from an October 2015 discovery of a 6x6 bull elk at the K- Savy Ranch in far Northeast Elko County. A Nevada game warden witnessed the illegal killing, and was then obstructed and detained behind closed gates while trying to investigate the crime. This obstruction led to a third conviction for an Idaho resident of interfering with an officer. The incident set off a complex, multi-year investigation by Nevada Department of Wildlife and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources that led to charges and convictions in both states for three people involved.

Amy Jo Summers, 42, of Tremonton, Utah, was sentenced May 15 in Elko District Court for gross misdemeanor willful possession of unlawfully killed big game. Penalties included a fine of $500 plus $125 administrative fees and a civil penalty of $2,000. She also forfeited a .243 caliber rifle used in the crime and a 6x6 bull elk rack. The administrative procedure for the violation carries a five year revocation of hunting, trapping and fishing privileges in 45 states.

Steven Frank Bennett, 69, of West Valley, Utah pled no contest to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful possession of wildlife outside a prescribed season in Elko Justice Court on April 14. He was assessed a $250 fine and $105 in administrative fees. Bennett also plead no contest in Box Elder County District Court in Utah On March 6 for two misdemeanors for “wanton destruction of protected wildlife” in the killing of two more bull elk outside his authorized hunting area.

For these separate counts, he received a 365 day suspended jail sentence per charge, fines and surcharges of $898.32, restitution of $16,000 to be paid in behalf of the Help Stop Poaching Fund, 18 months of probation, and 40 hours of community service. In addition, a large 6x6 bull elk rack was seized from Bennett’s residence. Administrative procedures that follow a crime such as this can carry a 20 year revocation of hunting privileges.

Susanne Arkoosh Bedke, 42, of Oakley Idaho, pled no contest in Box Elder County on May 3 to Interfering with an officer, a misdemeanor, for her role in the obstruction and holding of a game warden behind closed gates as he looked into the original crime. She received penalties that included 180 day jail sentence suspended upon the terms of the court agreement, a $680 fine and surcharge.

“This has to be one of the most bizarre cases we’ve seen in years,” said Chief Game Warden Tyler Turnipseed of NDOW. “We had landowners trying to stop the investigation, and we had numerous crimes on both sides of the border. Our partner organizations in Utah did great work, and our guys were able to piece together a complex case that was frustrating at times.”

“The evidence in this case showed that this wasn’t just an issue of a hunter accidentally crossing state lines but that this was an act of criminals deliberately poaching Nevada’s elk and not fully cooperating with the authorities,” said NDOW Game Warden Nick Brunson.

Game wardens initially discovered the poaching case for Summers that led to the subsequent discovery of two additional illegal bull elk killed by Bennett in the same area, even though some of the charges were unrelated. “These cases of deliberate killing of Nevada wildlife with the use of fraudulent, out of state tags continue to be a big issue,” said Brunson.

The case started when Nevada game wardens witnessed Summers shooting a bull elk at Bedke’s K-Savy Ranch. Although the ranch property is comprised of land in three states — Nevada, Utah and Idaho, Summers shot the bull elk well inside Nevada.

Investigators confronted Summers, and she produced a Utah elk tag in an attempt to legitimize the crime. In subsequent field work, game wardens discovered the crime scenes of two other trophy bulls killed by Bennett, one of which was ten feet inside the border fence of Utah. There were no mature, bull elk seasons open at that time in that area of Nevada. Game wardens seized portions of Summers’ large 6 x 6 bull elk at one of Bedke’s Utah properties.

“It took a lot of leg work, but I’m proud of the results our officers got throughout this investigation,” said Turnipseed.

Sportsmen and the public who witness wildlife crime are urged to contact the Operation Game Thief hotline at (800) 992-3030. To get the latest news about Nevada game wardens, follow Chief Game Warden Tyler Turnipseed on Twitter @Chief_GW_NV. Investigators will discuss the case at length in an upcoming NDOW podcast.