According to a recent article by Outdoor Life, what looked like a red helicopter joyride over Idaho’s sagebrush back in 2023 turned out to be Karl Studer’s very expensive ticket to the poacher’s hall of shame. The 43-year-old used a chopper to buzz mule deer at 200 yards up, filmed himself doing it, and even had a gasping pronghorn in the back of his truck. Thanks to text messages, flight logs, and his own iCloud account, Studer landed a plea deal with one felony conviction, a $180,000 fine, five years of probation, and a lifetime ban from hunting. The judge grounded him hard: no tags, no guns, and not even tagging along with family or hunting buddies off of his own property. Let this be a reminder that if you feel that you need a flight crew to hunt big game in Idaho, you are doing it wrong.
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