Two Wyoming men have been handed hefty fines and stripped of their hunting privileges for two years after being convicted of antler poaching south of Bondurant. At about 10:30 pm on April 16th, Wyoming Game and Fish Department wardens caught Matthew Nelson of Cheyenne and Jason Reidel of Pinedale as they were returning to their vehicle with about 70 pounds of elk antlers near the Hoback Rim. The two had been out on snowmobiles and snowshoes picking up antlers in an area where bull elk had been wintering. They were each cited for gathering antlers during the January 1-April 30 closure to shed antler collection on public lands west of the Continental Divide in Wyoming. They were also cited for trespassing on multiple private land parcels. The purpose of the seasonal closure is to minimize harassment or disturbance of big game animals on their winter and spring ranges when animals are most vulnerable to stress and displacement to less productive habitats. The antlers were confiscated and returned to the field upon closure of the case.
