Hunter’s Mistake Leads To Charges

An Idaho man has been charged with illegally taking wildlife in Grand Teton National Park.  48-year-old Daniel Kluth of Kimberly, Idaho shot and killed a bull bison around 11:00 am Sunday.  Kluth had a permit to take a bison in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, but in fact Park Spokesperson Jackie Skaggs says Kluth tracked it west into the Park. Kluth requested that a hunt outfitter service remove the bison for him. The service notified rangers that the coordinates Kluth provided were inside of Grand Teton National Park. The hunter fully cooperated with rangers and took rangers to the bison’s location. Rangers determined the approximate location of the killed bison to be two miles inside the park from the park’s boundary line to the east and one mile inside the park from boundary line to the south in the vicinity of Uhl Hill. Hunting is only allowed to those who have been issued a permit to participate in the park’s Elk Reduction Program.  Even then, the taking of a bison is not permitted.  Kluth now faces a mandatory court appearance and could be handed a fine and/or a jail term as determined by the magistrate.