A Kalispell
man has been charged with poaching two bull moose, and shortly after
he was cited by a game warden, he was arrested for driving under the
influence of alcohol.
Frank Campbell, 35, of Kalispell was stopped Nov.
5 by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden Brian Somers north
of Ashley Lake with a bull moose carcass in the back of his pickup
truck. Campbell allegedly did not have a permit for the moose.
After investigating the area where the moose had
been shot, Somers located the carcass of another moose within 70
yards, said Tim Wenz, deputy Flathead County attorney.
After citing Campbell, Somers contacted Flathead
County Sheriff's Office, suspecting the man had been drinking,
Wenz said. Deputies stopped Campbell and arrested him for DUI.
That charge is a felony, because Campbell has been convicted of
three previous DUIs, Wenz said.
Campbell made his initial appearance in Justice Court
Monday, where he entered a "not guilty" plea and
a public defender was appointed for him.
He is charged with two counts of shooting a bull
moose without a license and unlawfully transporting and possessing
an illegally taken game animal. He has yet to appear in court on
the DUI charge.
Justice of the Peace David Ortley set bond at $2,000,
and as of Wednesday, Campbell was still in the Flathead County
Jail. The county attorneys office requested a $10,000 bond on the
DUI charge.
Ed Kelly, warden captain for Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks in Kalispell, declined to discuss details of how the
moose were killed and how Campbell was caught, because a trial
is pending. It is scheduled for Jan. 27.
"I think this is an egregious violation," Kelly
said. "But we'll just let the court system have its say."
To maintain moose populations, the state offers only
a limited number of moose hunting permits through drawings. Some
hunters apply for the drawing year after year without success in
getting a permit.
