Copied this from the Wyo Game & Fish website.

TENNESSEE MAN SENTENCED FOR LEAD ROLE IN NOV. 2006 BIGHORN SHEEP CRIME

12/31/2007

DUBOIS - A Tennessee man who played the lead role in a November 2006 poaching of a 3/4 curl bighorn sheep ram near Dubois, was sentenced Dec. 7 for the crime after an investigation that involved three states, multiple state and federal wildlife officers and a concerned outdoor writer.

Roger E. McKean, 27, of Knoxville, Tenn. pleaded guilty to the following charges involving the bighorn ram: knowingly taking a bighorn sheep without a license and during a closed season, waste and abandonment of a bighorn sheep and taking a bighorn sheep from a vehicle.

Ninth Circuit Court Judge Robert Denhardt fined McKean $5,200, ordered him to pay $10,000 restitution for the ram and revoked his hunting privileges for 79 years. McKean was also sentenced to serve in the Fremont County Detention Center for a minimum of 60 days. After that time he can be released from jail when he pays his fines and restitution.

The investigation into the bighorn sheep crime revealed McKean also illegally killed a mule deer doe. He pleaded guilty to taking a deer without a license, hunting deer during a closed season and taking a deer with aid of artificial light. Judge Denhardt fined McKean $250 for those violations, ordered him to pay $500 restitution and revoked his hunting privileges for an additional 12 years.

He was also assessed a total of $180 in court costs for the bighorn sheep and deer convictions. Charges of taking a deer from a vehicle and shooting from a public road against McKean were dismissed.

"I feel that Judge Denhardt drew a clear distinction between sportsmen and a poacher in this case with the penalty. McKean had no respect for either the wildlife or lawful hunters," said Lander Wildlife Investigator Scott Browning, who along with Dubois Game Warden Cole Thompson, led the investigation. "He did absolutely nothing right or legal in regards to Wyoming wildlife in the short time he was in our state."

The investigation started as a result of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department requesting information about four bighorns illegally killed in the Whiskey Mountain area in November 2006. A tip was received that Kelly J. Grove of Dubois may have been involved in illegally killing a ram, and on Dec. 9, 2006 Thompson and Browning began the investigation. Interviews conducted with Grove and forensic evidence revealed Grove was an accessory to McKean killing the sheep Nov. 25, 2006, but McKean was in the Aspen/Snowmass, Colo. area.

Before McKean could be located in Colorado, he'd left for Tennessee, but he still provided evidence of the Wyoming wildlife crimes by leaving his truck at a local ranch. Colorado Division of Wildlife officers obtained a search warrant for the truck and collected blood, hair, a knife, bloody clothing and various rifle rounds and cartridges for forensic analysis by the Wyoming Game and Fish laboratory- but they did not locate the ram's head.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Ryan Noel and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Wildlife Officer Joe Durnin, located and interviewed McKean in Knoxville, Tenn. McKean cooperated with the officers and provided a statement that the ram's head was left on a ranch near Crowheart and he helped arrange for Wyoming officers to pick it up.

In the interview, McKean told the federal agent that he learned he could sell the head for $2,000 and needed the money. From the interviews and forensic analysis, officers learned about the deer violations and that McKean had also been involved in illegally killing two antelope on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

"As a result of McKean's interview with the officers in Tennessee and interviews with Grove and other Dubois area contacts, the full story was mostly pieced together," Browning said. "McKean and Grove were largely forthright once located."

From information garnered in the interviews, Grove and McKean encountered a band of bighorn sheep on Sheep Ridge south of Dubois on Nov. 25, 2006. McKean shot a 3/4 curl ram with Grove's .243 rifle and then Grove shot it again to finish killing it. Interviews with both men determined McKean solely removed the head and hid it in nearby rocks and later Grove drove McKean back to the site to retrieve it.

The interviews also revealed David V. (Dusty) Rhoads, a Crowheart ranch hand, and an unidentified male helped McKean poach the mule deer doe on non-tribal deeded land near Crowheart on or about Nov. 20, 2006. Rhodes was charged with accessory to take deer in a closed season and forfeited $410 in bond. McKean said he used the deer for meat and consumed the entire animal. Colorado officers found blood in McKean's truck which was later determined to be from the mule deer doe, but no meat was found at any location.

Rhoads, 50, was also cited by Wind River Indian Reservation wildlife officers for his role in helping McKean illegally kill the two antelope on the reservation.

McKean returned to Wyoming this summer to be charged and to enter an initial plea of not guilty but lost his court appointed counsel and failed to appear for his July 30 docket call in court for a scheduled Aug. 17 trial. The court issued an arrest warrant for him Aug. 1.

With information that McKean had returned to Tennessee, Browning actively worked with Tennessee authorities, including officer Durnin to locate and arrest McKean, but without success.

In November, the Game and Fish pitched the story to Bob Hodge, the outdoor editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel. He was eager to help with locating McKean and printed an article about McKean's fugitive status Nov. 11. The next morning McKean, who was working jogging horses at a racetrack in East St. Louis, Ill. expressed his desire to settle the charges. He told Browning that one reason he wanted to get this case resolved was so he could legally return to Wyoming to compete again as a saddle bronc rider at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

"The help and cooperation of so many concerned persons from the wildlife agencies in Colorado and Tennessee, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Fremont County Sheriff's Office, as well as the Knoxville outdoor editor contributed substantially to the successful outcome of this case," Browning said.

On Nov. 28, McKean flew to Riverton at his own expense, and Browning met him at the airport, served him with his arrest warrant and took him to the Fremont County Detention Facility. He appeared in court the next day represented by attorney Sky Phifer. Judge Denhardt allowed him to post a small bond and be released on his own recognizance but he chose to stay in jail until Dec. 4. At a hearing Dec. 7, McKean expressed his desire to get the case resolved, although the prosecution and defense could not agree on plea agreement, so the judge solely decided the penalties.

"McKean's cooperation with state and federal officers, in addition to eventually returning to the state to resolve the case, was taken into account and saved him from even stiffer penalties," Browning said. "He did the right thing by returning to Wyoming because the Fremont County Attorney's Office and Wyoming law enforcement, with the help of Tennessee authorities would have eventually found him and extradited him back to Wyoming on the active arrest warrant."

In addition to losing his hunting privileges in Wyoming, McKean is also prohibited from hunting in the 24 states that were members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact at the time of the violation - which includes Tennessee.

The ram's head will be used by the Game and Fish for educational purposes.

Grove, 22, was assessed $3,990 in fines and restitution and had his hunting privileges revoked for three years for being an accessory in the bighorn sheep crime, plus for wasting the meat from an elk and deer and falsely claiming to be a Wyoming resident to buy 2006 elk and deer licenses, in a plea agreement engineered by Deputy County Attorney Bob Bundy. He was also ordered to forfeit a .243 bolt action rifle used in the bighorn sheep crime. His elk and deer violations were discovered during the bighorn sheep investigation.

Browning also specifically cites USFWS Special Agent Roy Brown, Colorado Division of Wildlife District Wildlife Manager Kevin Wright, Robert St. Clair, Fish and Game director for the Wind River Indian Reservation, and Dee Dee Hawk, Ian Abernathy and Kim Sargeant of the Game and Fish Laboratory for their key help in the case.

Information is still being sought on the original four bighorns illegally killed in November 2006 in the Whiskey Mountain area southeast of Dubois. Anyone with information about those crimes or any other wildlife violation should call (877) WGFD-TIP. Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible for cash reward up to $5,000 if the information leads to a conviction.

(contact: Scott Browning (307) 322-2688)

Great, the poacher got what he deserved.

As a law abiding hunter, I don't think I will be to worried about hunting in WY. IN fact I need to get my non-resident apps in this month for elk.

Too bad more judges aren't that hard on violators!

We have a small herd on some BLM 25 or so miles from my house. Here are a couple pics of a small ram. One taken in Nov. and the other the day after Xmas.

I think the judge was actually pretty good on this one.

$15,000, restitution and loss of hunting privileges for 79 years. Don't forget the 60 days in jail.

It still makes me sick, but I think the poacher got hammered pretty good.

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Too bad more judges aren't that hard on violators!

That's what I meant by the statement. Not enough Judges hand out hard sentences like this one. There was also another 12 years for a deer violation added to the 79. That ban from hunting extends to all 24 states involved in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.

I am glad they caught them. I know the rhoads guy. Sad thing, I doubt the fines will ever be collected. He poached the sheep to sell it for $2000, so he didn't have any money to begin with!

They shouldnt let him compete in the Rodeo either!!!

Yea , Hope the Rodeo assc. bands him from rodeo's events too

Read More Here

Looks like he was an "Oil Field" worker, looking for work.

The double edge sword of the oil and gas boom!

Oilfield trash, as we refer to them! $80,000 a year and no one wants the jobs but these kinds of people!

I resent that remark, you are grouping everybody in with the scum that happen to be working there, there are plenty that are decent people. Keep your brokeback BS to yourself.

I know but just think of how Wyoming is without the boom-bust oil field.

I am going to the parents for a month in Casper this summer. It's a shock everytime I go home.

And hearing all those non-Wyoming or and especially non-Western accents reallly pisses me off!

other than the absurd loss of hunting privs, sounds like a fair sentence

79 years? avearge life expectency is 73 ... sounds like LIFE and irrational to not call it that. call it life without hunting, as that is what it is

then again, the concept of justice is repaying a debt, and this sounds overboard, ontop of fines, replacement, jail, and no hunting

I think 79 years is just fine.

If I came to Texas and shot one of your desert bighorns to sell (full on poaching), didn't have a liscense and had never seen one before.

Wouldn't you want me to take it up the keester.

This guy wasn't a hunter, he was a poacher, why argue semantics.

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I resent that remark, you are grouping everybody in with the scum that happen to be working there, there are plenty that are decent people.

I live here, I work here, I see them at the gas stations, I see the police reports,I see them while hunting, and the infractions with the law are just a tip of the iceberg! I stand by my opinion~ With the exception of long time oil field workers such as pumpers, and gas field mantenance workers, the rest are pretty much from one mold! Majority can't even pass drug tests! So what do the exploration people do? Give notice os such tests or test the same "clean person" over and over.

I was born in Wyoming in 1975 (I am almost 33 in case you ran out of toes), and I lived in Wyoming on and off about 10 years.

The Wyoming I see now is similar to the Wyoming of the early 1980s it's boom, but I am not so sure it will bust with a lot of new big non-oil outfits moving in. The increase in criminal activity in Wyoming is a result of the increase in the oil field.

I don't like the way it has changed, I know you cant stop progress by any shot.

I won't be moving back when I retire I will be moving back to Alaska. Alaska isn't perfect either, but I think it's a better fit these days.

And Alaska uses it's ability to restrict non-residents all the time. I do wish they required at least 9 months of residency to claim state citizenship.

I worked in the criminal justice system for 37 years and learned one important thing incarceration gets the perps out of the community & stops the victimizing.Fines don't really curtail criminal activity I still can't fathom why judges hand out such light jail sentences 60 days is a joke for a game poacher.I'd prefer 5 years minimum and then parole with an electronic anklet with indefinite supervision.Here's a Texas case a LE officer told me about.A drunk driver who killed a mother and child had 7 previous convictions of DUI was the brother of a Texas judge who sentenced him to community service .

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Here's a Texas case a LE officer told me about.A drunk driver who killed a mother and child had 7 previous convictions of DUI was the brother of a Texas judge who sentenced him to community service .

Even in Tejas - I doubt a Judge is allowed to preside over the case/trial of a relative. Sounds a little fishy to me - at least in the context of your statement.

Now if we can get that judge in Alaska.We had a russuian shoot a cow and calf moose out of season .He also threathened a 78 year old friend of mine when he discovered him cleaning the moose in his driveway.They fined the russian $250 and he got out of that because he said he couldnt understand english.The same judge always goes very easy on russians fines locals about 10 times that and nonresidents about 50 times the russians.A friend of mine shot a moose 1/4" too small and turned himself in.They took his licence 5 year took the moose and fined him $2500.The same judge that fined the russian poacher $250.Its not always fair.Now the russiands are pretty lawless doing anything they please.The one game warden is pretty afraid of them and hardly ever arrests them.He usually sits at public places such as the boat ramp and the middle of town to arrest people.Its a joke if you turn in poachers also .I trired to turn in the russians in my neighborhood for shoot a grizzley off of 4 wheeler wheelers out of season.The said the game warden was off that day and it would probally rain the next day.Sometimes its hard to just let things pass by but without any help the russian poachers pretty much do as they please.One friend who traps found 15 moose in russian sares in a week.The wonderful fish and game did nothing.It seems the only time fish and game does anything is during hunting season for moose.

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I live here, I work here, I see them at the gas stations, I see the police reports,I see them while hunting, and the infractions with the law are just a tip of the iceberg! I stand by my opinion~ With the exception of long time oil field workers such as pumpers, and gas field mantenance workers, the rest are pretty much from one mold! Majority can't even pass drug tests! So what do the exploration people do? Give notice os such tests or test the same "clean person" over and over.

Sounds like sour grapes, bet one of them roughnecks kicked your ass and shut your mouth a while back-huh.

dgr416, Are you saying that the Russians snared the moose? That should get someone shot! Whats the story with the light fines?

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Originally posted by dgr416:
Now if we can get that judge in Alaska.We had a russuian shoot a cow and calf moose out of season .He also threathened a 78 year old friend of mine when he discovered him cleaning the moose in his driveway.They fined the russian $250 and he got out of that because he said he couldnt understand english.The same judge always goes very easy on russians fines locals about 10 times that and nonresidents about 50 times the russians.A friend of mine shot a moose 1/4" too small and turned himself in.They took his licence 5 year took the moose and fined him $2500.The same judge that fined the russian poacher $250.Its not always fair.Now the russiands are pretty lawless doing anything they please.The one game warden is pretty afraid of them and hardly ever arrests them.He usually sits at public places such as the boat ramp and the middle of town to arrest people.Its a joke if you turn in poachers also .I trired to turn in the russians in my neighborhood for shoot a grizzley off of 4 wheeler wheelers out of season.The said the game warden was off that day and it would probally rain the next day.Sometimes its hard to just let things pass by but without any help the russian poachers pretty much do as they please.One friend who traps found 15 moose in russian sares in a week.The wonderful fish and game did nothing.It seems the only time fish and game does anything is during hunting season for moose.

Youre going to have to quote sources. I don't believe a word of this.

Frankly I'm a little offended that you think we're stupid enough to believe it.

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Sounds like sour grapes, bet one of them roughnecks kicked your ass and shut your mouth a while back-huh.

LOL! Kicked my ass? Most are so stoned they can't even kiss your ass! I just have a low tolerance for white trash, drug addicts, that move here, have no regard what-so-ever for laws, rules, and respect. And most of all indiscriminately kill game when ever they feel like it. Most are associated with the oil and gas exploration. And if the law-abiding members of that select group want to prove that the "bad apples" are a minority, then maybe they should close their yellow teethed cock suckers, and police their own ranks! Or better yet, do the fine people of Wyoming a favor, go the f*ck back to pensituckias, and take your wife or sister, which is probably both, with you! Another favorite trick, move here for a good job, break the laws, and dump your wife and kids on the state! Happens more than you think!

Kudu......Right on!!!!

I won't lump them all together, the pumpers, pipeline maintenance, and about half the work- over-rig crews, are good people. It's the drilling rig workers, and exploration, both gas and oil that I will!

Wyoming is on it's way toward being the crysta-meth capitol of the nation, thanks to the oil boom.

Wyoming only has 500,000 people, when you add the white trash oilfield workers it makes a much bigger dent than it would someplace with a real population.

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Wyoming only has 500,000 people, when you add the white trash oilfield workers it makes a much bigger dent than it would someplace with a real population.

You hit the nail on the head!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by D99:
Wyoming is on it's way toward being the crysta-meth capitol of the nation, thanks to the oil boom.

I hate to hear that Wyoming is one of the nicest states I visited.

we can always send the roughnecks home(who spend their $80,000 paychecks there and boost the local economy) and bring in the illegal mexicans who will send their money back home....be careful what you wish for.

I would take a bus load of illegals instead of one roughneck! And they spend their money here to! We have plenty, sugar beets, service industry, and most dirty work jobs, illegals are there, and you know what, the arrest records are about one illegal to five out of state oil and gas field workers! The illegals do not abandone their families,beat their wives, they pay thier electric and gas bills, and with cash. Never delinquent. Roughnecks, move, delinquent months, and even have left pets chained in the back yard half starved. They spend most of their checks on drugs, booze, jacked up 4x4's, and rebel flags!

on the roughnecks!~

Yep, I'm sure of it now, one of them thumped your broke-back ass! I roughnecked for a dozen or so years in many states 1970-80's, but Wyoming wasn't one of them. In the 1980's I saw an influx of the dopers hit the rigs, but they didn't last long, the company initiated a random drug test policy and it worked, a lot of them went kicking rocks down the road. But I did see the same ENVY(remark about 80K a year job-and believe me it didn't pay that back then) when we went into a new town to punch a hole, most of the time some of the locals could've got hired on if they just had the gumption to do it, it is good honest hard work-try it you might not like it, and as far as I know I was never called oil field trash. Maybe one of them banged your wife or something, I really don't care, but there's definately something that's got your panties bunched up. Hell go out and get you a job on a rig, you could pass a drug test, couldn't you? You are only 3-400 miles south of me, I'm the great grandson of of a Montana homesteader- NO REBEL FLAGS HERE- I'd really like to meet you face to face, maybe on my way to see my brother in Sinclair or cousin in Buffalo I could stop in and have a chat with you!

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But I did see the same ENVY(remark about 80K a year job-and believe me it didn't pay that back then)

Why would I want to take 1/2 the pay to work with a bunch of drug addicted, wife beating, poachers? Be kinda dumb, something rig trash would do I guess! You sure seem infatuated with broke- back! Makes me wonder if that is in the mix to!!!!!!

It takes $80k to keep the drugs flowin! And pay bail!

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Maybe one of them banged your wife or something

I get the feeling yours got it while you were on the rig! They don't have anything of mine in a bunch, I just see it again and agian, poaching, indiscrimate killing of game, police reports as to wife beating, child neglect, drugs, fights, delinquent bills! Etc; etc; etc; etc; etc; etc; etc;

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Why would I want to take 1/2 the pay to work

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I roughnecked for a dozen or so years in many states 1970-80's,

WOW! 12 WHOLE YEARS!
Makes you jealous huh? When some one has a real trade and an education, and avoid the rigtrash mentality, you would be surprised how much money you can make! It is called "WORK" or even just a willingness to do so! Remember this in 2008, not 1980 any more.

We can't even hire employees or even get apprentices, that can and do make more than myself. Some of our crews average 800 hours a year in OT, most of which is double time. God, now I sound like a burned out druggie rigpig!

Bugs you don't it! I have been in the same trade for 29 years. Some make more, some make less! Depends on how much you want to work!

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We can't even hire employees or even get apprentices, that can and do make more than myself. Some of our crews average 800 hours a year in OT, most of which is double time. God, now I sound like a burned out druggie

First let me say that you are an ignorant, bigit and can't see past the end of your nose, that is proven by your blanket statement, which you stand by, not being man enough to admit you were wrong.
Sounds like the company needs to restructure, start by cutting the "do nothing overhead"(aka hogs at the through)and hire someone capable of getting something done, cutting all that overtime by half or more. These are the companies that feed off the working man and cause utilities and services to be so high. You've got some manager, dept head, ceo spending all day on the internet flapping his jaws, looking at porn and doing who knows what instead of his job, then we pay for it in higher priced services. Most are protected from dismisal by contracts or unions when in reality their usefulness was used up 10 or 15 years ago. If the shoe fits, wear it. as usual my .02 worth

I have to agree with SWheeler on Ole Kudu56/Madgoatchoker. I lived in Wyoming for more than 20 years and did many different jobs in the oilfield. My experience was that the biggest problems were generally Wyoming natives when it came to both poaching and thieving. It was real funny how the local judges let these guys off time and time again without even the slap on the wrist and then turn around and throw the book at anyone else. It was pretty normal too that the dope dealers were also Wyoming residents too lazy to get real jobs in the oilfield.

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My experience was that the biggest problems were generally Wyoming natives when it came to both poaching and thieving. It was real funny how the local judges let these guys off time and time again without even the slap on the wrist and then turn around and throw the book at anyone else. It was pretty normal too that the dope dealers were also Wyoming residents too lazy to get real jobs in the oilfield.

Exactly! Just a year or so ago a deputy sheriff from a south/eastern MT county and a cattle buyer from Huelet?? Wyoming were caught for poaching pronghorn and mule deer near Alzada, MT IIRC the deputy got suspended without pay for a month or two, the cattle buyer got a fine. Next thing you know they will be trying to blame the wolves for low elk populations, when the real reason is the natives poaching them!!!!

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First let me say that you are an ignorant, bigit and can't see past the end of your nose, that is proven by your blanket statement, which you stand by, not being man enough to admit you were wrong.
Sounds like the company needs to restructure, start by cutting the "do nothing overhead"(aka hogs at the through)and hire someone capable of getting something done, cutting all that overtime by half or more. These are the companies that feed off the working man and cause utilities and services to be so high. You've got some manager, dept head, ceo spending all day on the internet flapping his jaws, looking at porn and doing who knows what instead of his job

Sounds like you got all the answers! NOT! I stand by my opinion, and it is based on facts. Arrest records,news paper articles, court records. The oil and gas boom has brought nothing but trash to this state in search of a big paycheck! But most don't want to work!

And as for you fantastic anology of solving the worlds problems relating to work force shortages, your full of shit! I am telling you, it is damn near impossible to hire help, that wants to work. About all you get are 12 year vets of the 80's boom! And they just live in the past and want to tell you how they did it in pensitukxas! You and your butt buddy rickt are both full of it. Do some research instead of rattling the false teeth in your cock-sucker! Read how many game violations have occured in the state and see where the law breakers are from! VAST MAJORITY ARE FROM OUT OF STATE, AND HAVE CAME HERE FOR THE BIG MONEY IN THE OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION BUSINESS!~

Your retired any way, and living 30 years ago, as is rickt!

KUKU 56 is

This entire thread was about a poacher, a roughneck, and a problem. The problem is bigger than most think. Poaching and indiscriminate killing of wildlife by oil and gas feild workers in all around the state, and mostly in the SW corner and NE corner.

Most is done by out of state oil and gas field workers. Why out of state? We only have 500,000 people, of that 500,000 a large percentage are already employed,(we have one of the lowest unemployment rates) and or, old! So where do you get workers? Out of state, and most bring their problems,low regard or respect of laws and rules with them!

Now swheeler, go take a hit on your bong, and just chill out, with the exception of drugs and sexual preference of life partners, you might have been an "exception to the rule", (1 in 10,000) when it comes to rig workers and moderate morals and work ethic!....