Officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife boarded a commercial plane heading back upstate from San Diego. They’d just finished a training session and were back in their regular clothes. After takeoff, they happened to overhear a couple discussing hunting federally protected species. The officers decided to casually join the discussion.
Mid-air, the couple told the plainclothes officers they checked a federally protected sea turtle skull in their luggage
In November 2023, CDFW officers shared a flight with the Californians. After they casually interjected, the couple revealed several details that implicated themselves and a family member.
First, they stated that they were carrying a protected sea turtle skull from the East Coast on the plane.
They also “reminisced” about hunting a mountain lion. Mountain lions are a protected species in California. Hunting or possessing the animals in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
Finally, the couple spoke openly about a family member’s Napa County “trophy room.” They boasted about the presence of numerous mountain lions, wolverines, and wolves at the residence. The couple showed CDFW officers photos of their room.
What started as an amicable interaction exposed the illegal hunting and possession of a sea turtle skull, several mountain lions, a wolverine, a ringtail cat, and other animal trophies
After the flight landed, the officers requested to see the sea turtle. The couple expressed concern about being caught.So they waited until TSA was nowhere in sight before opening their luggage.
They removed a green sea turtle skull from a jacket in their bag. Green sea turtles are federally protected endangered species.
When the CDFW officers returned to the department, they filed search warrants for Butte and Napa counties.
When they arrived at the couple’s Butte home, they found them processing a deer they had killed earlier that day. However, it wasn’t deer season.The couple did not have any legal tags.
Inside the house, officials discovered a number of illegal trophies, including a mounted barn owl, mountain lion claws, a ringtail cat, and spike buck. They also discovered more deer taken illegally and without tags.
Once the CDFW officers got back to the department, they filed search warrants in Butte and Napa Counties
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service collaborated with the CDFW on the search, investigation, and prosecution.
Last month, the accused were sentenced to fines, probation, and, in some cases, a temporary ban on hunting. Officials confiscated all of the animal remains.
