ID: Idaho man convicted of poaching trophy-size elk that had long eluded ethical hunters

https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports/outdoors/2025/07/28/idaho-hunter-convicted-poaching-famous-trophy-size-elk/85409907007/

07/28/2025

An Idaho man has been convicted of a felony for poaching a trophy-size elk that had eluded ethical hunters for years.

Joel Rose, of Coeur d’Alene, was convicted for the unlawful killing, possession and wasting of wildlife after a two-day trial late last month.

Idaho Fish and Game announced Monday that Rose used a sophisticated distance rifle to kill the elk during an archery-only season on Sept. 10, 2024. He shot the elk, which boasted a unique antler configuration that made it easily identifiable, on private property in Kootenai County.

Conservation officers, acting on a tip, searched Rose’s residence on Sept. 11 and discovered the elk carcass.

“The investigation revealed that the elk had been killed by two lethal shots from a rifle, and that an arrow had been inserted into the carcass after the animal was already dead,” Idaho Fish and Game explained in a news release.

Conservation officer displays antlers of poached elk.
The rifle Rose was said to have used was equipped with a silencer. The rifle, elk antlers and meat, and archery equipment were seized as evidence.

“Additional evidence revealed that Rose had been specifically targeting the trophy-class bull elk during the archery-only season, which overlaps the rutting period for elk in North Idaho,” Idaho Fish and Game stated. “After the elk was killed with a rifle, Rose posed in photos with the elk with an arrow protruding from the carcass.”