Posted on 03/14/2024 12:27:41 PM PDT by Red Badger
BILLINGS, Mont.—A Montana rancher illegally used tissue and testicles from wild sheep killed by hunters in central Asia and the United States to breed “giant” hybrid sheep for sale to private hunting preserves in Texas, according to court documents and federal prosecutors.
Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 80, of Vaughn, Montana pleaded guilty to felony charges of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to traffic wildlife during an appearance Tuesday before a federal judge in Great Falls. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Court documents describe a yearslong conspiracy, beginning in 2013, in which Mr. Schubarth and at least five other people sought to create “giant sheep hybrids” by cross-breeding different species. Their goal was to garner high prices from hunting preserves where people shoot captive trophy game animals for a fee.
Using biological tissue obtained from a hunter who killed a wild sheep in Kyrgyzstan belonging to the world’s largest species of animals—Marco Polo argali sheep—Mr. Schubarth procured cloned embryos of the animal from a lab, according to court documents.
The embryos were later implanted in an ewe, resulting in a pure Marco Polo argali sheep that Mr. Schubert named “Montana Mountain King,” the documents show. Semen from Montana Mountain King was used to artificially impregnate other ewes to create a larger and more valuable species of sheep, including one offspring that he reached an agreement to sell to two people in Texas for $10,000, according to the documents.
Male argali sheep can top 300 pounds with horns up to 5 feet long, according to officials, making them prized among some hunters. They are protected under international convention as a threatened species and outlawed for import into Montana to protect native sheep from disease and hybridization.
A person who was not named in court documents shipped 74 ewes of a prohibited sheep species from Minnesota to Mr. Schubarth’s ranch to be artificially inseminated with Montana Mountain King semen, the documents show. Offspring that had only a portion of the central Asian sheep’s genetics sold for lesser amounts.
In 2019, Mr. Schubarth paid $400 to a hunting guide for testicles from a trophy-sized Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep killed in Montana. Mr. Schubarth extracted semen from bighorn sheep testicles and used it to breed large bighorn sheep and sheep crossbred with the argali species, the documents show.
Assistant U.S. Attorney General Todd Kim described Mr. Schubarth’s actions as “an audacious scheme to create massive hybrid sheep species to be sold and hunted as trophies.” Mr. Kim said the defendant violated the Lacey Act which restricts wildlife trafficking and prohibits the sale of falsely labeled wildlife.
Mr. Schubarth said when reached by telephone on Wednesday that his attorney had advised him not to talk about the case.
“I would love to talk about it but can’t do it now,” he said. His attorney, Jason Holden, did not immediately respond to telephone messages seeking comment.
Authorities agreed under the terms of a plea deal not to pursue further charges against the defendant pending his cooperation in the government’s ongoing investigation of the wildlife trafficking case.
Montana Mountain King is in the custody of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to Department of Justice spokesperson Matthew Nies. As part of the plea deal, Mr. Schubert agreed to quarantine any other sheep containing Marco Polo argali genetics and any bighorn sheep that were harvested from the wild.
The deal also allows federal wildlife officials to inspect and, if needed, neuter the animals.
Captive animal facilities where game species can be raised and hunted were banned in Montana under a 2000 ballot initiative. But they remain legal in some other states.
Mr. Schubarth’s 215-acre ranch is state-licensed as an alternative livestock facility, said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Greg Lemon. It was grandfathered in when the 2000 ballot initiative passed and has continued to operate, although hunting is prohibited, Mr. Lemon said.
Sentencing for Mr. Schubarth is set for July 11 before U.S. District Judge Brian Morris.
Animals get more protection than humans.
A species or a breed?
I think I found the FBI agent behind this story...
Izat ewe, Angus?
That's not hunting......That's just target shooting at live animals for the bragging rights of a wall hanging.
The man is standing 20' behind the sheep.
IMHO,
The guy did nothing wrong.
If a bio-tech firm mettle’s with the DNA of sheep that is OK, right?
The lack of humility before nature that’s being displayed here, uh... staggers me.
I do not understand where he was guilty of anything. He harvested part of a dead animal.
Jack Ryan, “But that’s different”
“Everyone says that when we’re doing it.”, John Clark
(probably badly paraphrased...)
WOW! Maybe there actually was something to that “GOAT GLANDS” hype 100 years ago!
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/john-brinkley/
https://profihunt.com/en/hunt/altai-argali-in-mongolia
Mongolia is the only country where hunting for the Altay argali is legal. Mongolian mountain desert steppe is an ideal habitat for Sheep and Ibex. This country became one of the most popular destinations for mountain hunters who expect a well-organized hunt.
The average trophy size is 52-54 inches, with a number of trophies taken in excess of 55-58 inches.
This magnificent Sheep inhabits Altay Mountains of western Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan.
Click the link above for more info/photos
I remember reading, years ago, that the large Texas deer were actually Wisconsin deer captured and moved to the Texas hunting ranches.
Why not just capture Montana goats and ship them to Texas?
If this is the worst crime anyone ever commits I think the world is safe. 🙄
“”I thought diversity was strength, and we should welcome all dna across our borders with open arms ?””
Quick one....funny and true! I guess there’s some objection to the countries it came from...which makes them prejudiced....
No, but my grandmother was a Burnett.
As unusual as this sounds, how is this different than breeding a new species of cow?
Unwise maybe without taking a close look at the genetics but criminal, I don’ think so.
so you are not Angus the sheep shagger?
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