2 men convicted of illegal hunting violations in 3 Montana counties
08/13/2026
Two men have been convicted of illegal hunting violations in three Montana counties, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
FWP says Jeremy Michael Hill and Ryan Francis McGuire illegally shot and killed multiple antlered deer in Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin counties over the past three years.
The investigation began after a concerned citizen reported a wasted whitetail buck found in Hill’s possession.
“This case started with a tip from a concerned citizen,” said Morgan Jacobsen, an information officer with Montana FWP. “That led to evidence that we found subsequently, including a wasted whitetail buck that was found in Mr. Hill’s possession. From there, we gathered more evidence of additional deer that had been killed.”
Investigators say Hill also used hunting licenses issued to family members to tag some of the deer. Wardens later determined McGuire helped Hill with the scheme.
For both men, charges include unlawful possession of a game animal, exceeding the deer harvest limit, unlawful hunting from a public highway or vehicle, unlawful use of equipment while hunting, waste of a game animal, hunting without landowner permission and failing to validate a general deer license.
Montana hunters are allowed one deer license each year to harvest an antlered buck.
“Something that we see sometimes in our investigations and our enforcement efforts are when people use other people’s hunting licenses, whether they’re from a friend or family member,” Jacobsen said. “It’s not terribly common, but it is something that we see in our investigations.”
Hill was sentenced to a 36-month suspension of his hunting and fishing privileges and ordered to pay nearly $3,000 in fines.
McGuire received a 24-month suspension and was fined $670.
FWP says the suspensions apply nationwide, meaning both men lose their hunting and fishing privileges in all 50 states during their suspensions.
Jacobsen says hunting regulations are designed to protect wildlife populations and ensure the resource remains available for future generations.
“When people are circumventing the rules or harvesting more than what’s allowed, that can have an impact on these populations,” Jacobsen said.
FWP says tips from the public were critical to the investigation and encourages anyone with information about potential wildlife violations to report it.