COTTONWOOD — An Idaho County man was served a lifetime revocation of his hunting, fishing, and trapping license after receiving multiple poaching charges.
In early October 2024, a cardboard box containing freshly processed deer parts was found by a local rancher off a backcountry road in Idaho County.
Idaho Fish and Game responded to a report of the box, finding a recently skinned deer hide, legs, and hooves inside. An address written on the outside of the box was traced to Carl Van Loon's Cottonwood residence.
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Van Loon initially denied the box was his, but after seeing his address printed on the outside, he claimed that someone must have planted the illegal deer parts.
VanLoon continued to deny the accusation until the officer said that he believed that if he looked in VanLoon’s coolers, he would find deer meat from the same deer as the deer parts in the box.
VanLoon then admitted to killing the deer twelve days before the season opened without a valid Idaho license or tags. He was then issued a citation for littering and unlawful possession of a deer killed during a closed season.
The next day, officials heard reports of a gunshot coming from Van Loon's property.
When an officer arrived at his residence, they noticed a salt block, water trough, feeder with hay and a feed bin containing a molasses-like mixture of oats and grains.
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The site was identified as an illegal baiting site for big game, and officials were given a search warrant. Messages from Van Loon's phone were used as evidence of poaching several deer and a moose.
Idaho County District Court and Carl Van Loon worked out a plea deal for the charges of; a lifetime hunting, fishing and trapping license revocation, 10 days in jail, $10,000 in civil penalty fines for the unlawful moose.
Overall, the charges were six felonies, nine misdemeanors and one infraction. In exchange for a plea agreement on the unlawfully closed season moose, all deer charges were dismissed.
