ST. GEORGE — Two Utah men — one from Holden and the other from Enoch — were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City last week for their parts in defrauding hunters by leading canned hunts for commercial gain in violation of the Lacey Act.
Stock photo | Photo by Sandmanxx/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the crime involved a Utah licensed big game outfitter and his employee/cougar hunting guide in the District of Utah. The two defendants were sentenced separately for their involvement.
Wade Lemon, 63, of Holden, was sentenced July 18 to two months’ imprisonment, ordered by the court to pay a $10,500 fine and a one-year commercial ban on federal land. According to court documents, and statements made during his change of plea hearing, Lemon admitted to illegally participating in “canned” mountain lion hunts on Jan. 24, 2021, and Dec. 15, 2020, on Federal Bureau of Land Management and National Forest Service land.
Utah law prohibits “canned hunts” of mountain lions. A canned hunt means that a cougar is treed, cornered, held at bay or its ability to escape is otherwise restricted to allow a person who was not a member of the initial hunting party to arrive and take the cougar, the news release said. The federal Lacey Act prohibits selling in interstate commerce any wildlife taken or sold in violation of state law. The Lacey Act defines the “sale” of wildlife to include providing guiding or outfitting services.
“This is a unique and important case because hunting is an important part of Utah’s culture,” U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah said in a news release. “Canned hunts are illegal because they create an unfair advantage and can lead to inhumane treatment of the animals. It is also unfair to hunters who paid thousands of dollars for a guide and had no idea that they were participating in a canned hunt. My office and our law enforcement partners take these crimes seriously because they negatively impact our state and the hunting community.”
DWR biologists rely on several indicators and public feedback to evaluate the health of Utah’s cougar population and determine best management practices, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Lynn Chamberlain/Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, St. George News
Lemon owns and operates Wade Lemon Hunting based in Holden. Lemon advertises his business on his website and boasts nearly 100% success rates yearly. However, Lemon has cheated in illegal canned cougar hunts and has defrauded hunters, the Department of Justice said.
Kacey Alan Yardley, 47, of Enoch, was sentenced Monday to six months’ bench probation after he pleaded guilty to his involvement in an illegal canned cougar hunt with Lemon. As part of his probationary terms, Yardley is banned from federal land for commercial purposes.
According to court documents and statements made at his change of plea hearing, Yardley worked for Lemon as a cougar hunting guide and houndsman. On Dec.15, 2020, while on the BLM land, Yardley admitted that during a canned hunt, a cougar was held at bay and its ability to escape was otherwise restricted to allow a hunter who was not a member of the initial hunting party to arrive and attempt to take the cougar.
“The Forest Service issues special use permits to many outfitters and guides who provide a valuable service to the public,” Fishlake National Forest Supervisor Mike Elson said. “This case was important to help ensure the legitimacy of permitted services.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service and the Utah Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Ruth Hackford-Peer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Willoughby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.