Well, it turns out there’s a very thin line between “stocking the freezer” and “wildlife racketeering,” and two Montana hunters just crossed it by about 200 birds.
Here is the breakdown of how a quick morning on the Sun River turned into a massive legal headache:
In Montana, the daily limit is seven ducks. John Carullo and Matthew Krekelberg decided that wasn’t a goal, but a suggestion they could ignore by a factor of ten. When a game warden rolled up on their private-land honey hole in January, he didn’t just find a few extra birds—he found 66 ducks chilling on the ground.
The investigation didn’t stop at the riverbank. A search of a local shop uncovered a literal mountain of waterfowl.
- Total ducks seized: 223
- Kill count over just two days: 120
- Legal possession limit: 21 per person
Krekelberg’s defense was essentially the “I lost count” card, claiming he just wanted enough meat to last the year. Meanwhile, Carullo admitted to hitting the river two dozen times that season. Most hunters sweat over identifying a single hen vs. a drake; these guys were treating the Sun River like a grocery store aisle with a broken scanner.
The state of Montana isn’t exactly laughing. Since each duck carries a $25 restitution value, the pair is looking at:
- Fines: Up to $50,000.
- Prison: Up to 5 years (felony charges).
- Social Life: A 3-year ban on hunting, fishing, and trapping.
The Irony: After seizing the evidence, officials actually let them keep their legal limit of 21 birds each. Talk about a “last meal” before a potential five-year stint in the big house.
Source References:
- Billings Gazette: Two men charged with killing 223 ducks
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP)
- The Meateater