https://www.kxxv.com/rancher-80-pleads-guilty-in-scheme-to-create-giant-sheep-hybrids


Rancher, 80, pleads guilty in scheme to create 'giant sheep hybrids'
The Montana man allegedly bought certain sheep internationally to create a larger species for captive hunters in the U.S.
Rancher, 80, pleads guilty in scheme to create 'giant sheep hybrids'
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By: Alex ArgerPosted at 8:48 PM, Mar 15, 2024 and last updated 8:48 PM, Mar 15, 2024
An 80-year-old Montana rancher has pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from his role in an almost decade-long scheme to create "giant sheep hybrids," the Department of Justice said Tuesday.

Arthur "Jack" Schubarth facilitated the crimes through his Schubarth Ranch, a 215-acre "alternative livestock" property in Vaughn that he owned and operated, according to federal prosecutors. "Alternative livestock," the DOJ says, include mountain sheep, mountain goats and other hoofed animals that Schubarth was allegedly purchasing, selling and breeding at his ranch.

Court documents state that from 2013 to 2021 Schubarth conspired with at least five others to create another of these alternative species — in particular, a hybrid species of sheep that would garner higher prices from shooting preserves, also known as game ranches under the captive hunting umbrella.

To do this, prosecutors allege Schubarth imported parts of the world's largest sheep, known as the Marco Polo argali sheep, from Kyrgyzstan without declaring them upon entering the U.S.

The large-horned species, regularly weighing more than 300 pounds, is protected internationally from trade and domestically under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which categorizes it as threatened. The argali sheep is also prohibited in Montana to protect native sheep from disease and hybridization, the DOJ says.

Nonetheless, prosecutors allege Schubarth would send parts of his imported argalis' genetic material to a U.S. lab to create cloned embryos. He would then implant the embryos into ewes, or female sheep, on his Schubarth Ranch to create a "single, pure genetic male Marco Polo argali that he named 'Montana Mountain King' or MMK," the DOJ said.

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Schubarth and his co-conspirators then used MMK's semen to impregnate other ewes to create hybrid animals, all to create a "larger and more valuable species of sheep to sell to captive hunting facilities, primarily in Texas," the DOJ said.

The department alleges Schubarth and his unnamed partners would forge veterinary inspection certificates to falsely claim the hybrid sheep were a legally permitted species, and occasionally, he'd sell MMK semen directly to other sheep breeders to move the prohibited animals out of his state.

But the argali wasn't the only alternative livestock Schubarth allegedly had his eyes on.

Court documents also allege Schubarth illegally obtained, transported and sold genetic material from Montana's wild-hunted Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep across states. Purchasing parts of the species, known as the largest wild sheep native to North America, violates state law that prohibits the sale of game animal parts and their use on alternative livestock ranches.

The widespread case involves both state, national and international law.

On Tuesday, Schubarth admitted to two felony wildlife crimes brought against him in the U.S., which included conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and substantively violating the Lacey Act.

The Lacey Act prohibits interstate wildlife trade that has been "taken, possessed, transported" sold or falsely labeled in violation of federal or state law. The DOJ says it's one of the most "powerful tools" the country has in policing wildlife trafficking and preventing "ecological invasion by injurious wildlife."

"The kind of crime we uncovered here could threaten the integrity of our wildlife species in Montana," said Ron Howell, chief of enforcement for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. "This was a complex case, and the partnership between us and U.S Fish and Wildlife Service was critical in solving it."

The felony Lacey Act charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison for Schubarth alongside a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release. He's expected to be sentenced on July 11.

I've been reading about this some. and I'll admit I guess I haven't read up enough that I understand exactly what the problem was. there are so many of these exotic sheep hunt kind of situations all over the country what made this one so bad.

The “parts” in question = semen?

I'm guessing it's about paperwork.


The Marco Polo is listed as threatened, and banned from being peckered with.


And the interstate movement of animals.

Domestic animal movements are monitored for health reasons,
"Game" animals even more so.

Vaughn is near Great Falls, so close to the Rocky Mountain Front. Escaped sheep from the operation could potentially interbreed/mix with native Bighorns, with unknown effect. Certainly it would be a genetic dilution or could make Bighorns not Bighorns anymore.

Sounds like he didn’t dot his I’s and cross his T’s when importing an exotic species for his little pay-to-kill zoo. No sympathy. Throw the book at him.

By the way, calling a 215 acre property in Montana a “ranch” is beyond ridiculous. He is not a “rancher”. 80 year old SOB should know better. Greed, just that, greed.

Wouldn’t 80 acres in Montana be a small lawn.
Throw the book at him.

Read the article in Billings Gazette yesterday. An earlier article said he was "cloning" the sheep- typical reporter ignorance?

i would guess it was the semen route, being so much si
mler to import and less technical achieve results

Can't have any invasive species. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jul-02-na-desert-lobster2-story.html
.

All that bats sewing sheep horns on a donkey I guess..

Frankeno'cortez

Wasn’t semen. He was getting them cloned. From what I know of it, it would be expensive. Maybe $100k

“ Nonetheless, prosecutors allege Schubarth would send parts of his imported argalis' genetic material to a U.S. lab to create cloned embryos. He would then implant the embryos into ewes, or female sheep, on his Schubarth Ranch to create a "single, pure genetic male Marco Polo argali that he named 'Montana Mountain King' or MMK," the DOJ said.”

I stand corrected. Expensive way to be crooked.

Probably just taking a break from illegally stocking pike and walleye into our trout habitat.

Why do sheep go big, Clone Mammoth, and charge 250 grand to shoot one?

Make one with 3 horns like triceratops

That would be bad ass!!!!!

They remove big horn sheep to protect them from regular sheep.

They remove big horn sheep to protect them from regular sheep.
You know what else would draw a crowd?

A golfer with a hand growing out of his ass.

Growing up we raised hogs to slaughter. Shot them in a pen. We never called it hunting. My how things have changed. I don't care what some dude does to bugger sheep on his farm, just don't bring hunters into it.

Now they need to nail the guys that brought in larger Canadian timber wolves.

Bb

And the guy letting all the "exotics" cross our southern border.

So, the man "creates" a Marco Polo sheep, the likes of which no American has ever seen on the hoof. Knowing it's illegal, where would he plan to hide them? It would be like trying to hide an Elephant in a dog park.

“Captive hunting” hard to believe that’s a thing.

Maybe he was just trying to be inclusive???

Does a Mohammad like monstersheep?

I support jail for this prick. GD

Don't really care either way myself
What's the difference between this person and
all these I've seen that breed big non-typical
whitetail deer for people to shoot for their
office/den/mancave wall and post on their
farcebook and yoofloob page ?
There's a LOT of that that goes on

Because Montana folks don’t want it to turn into Texas.

Shooting game farm operations were made illegal in Montana by a Citizen Initiative.


That said there is a lot of fire regulars that hunt high fence and pass it off as a real hunt.


Anyone with even the slightest bit of knowledge about wild bighorn sheep understand the damage domestic sheep can do to the wild population.

Wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see the domestic field maggots removed from any state with wild sheep populations.

Morally, I really only see the “escape to Bighorn Mountain” narrative as holding water. If some duffer wants to shoot a domestic sheep to stroke his ego, whatever, not my thing, but that’s what freedom is about.

We’ve been breeding and domesticating sheep to suit our purposes for millennia. This dude did the same with some high tech, and bred for horns instead of wool production.

Of course, the most interesting part of the story was left out. Which high fence operator was passed over and turned him in out of spite?

Again high fence shooter operations are illegal in MT.

The issue isn't shooting farm animals and calling it 'hunting'. The issue is that he's illegally using genes from endangered species. When an animal is protected by the ESA, you can't mess with them at all. He's also falsely representing what the hybrids are, truth in labeling.

From what I understand, that ship has sailed.
I see on various forums and the "news" about the
influx of out-of-staters in Montana and Idaho
and the mini ranches and gated subdivisions
just like everywhere else. Lots of californians
and rust belters just like here

Oh well. . .
I'd fix it all if I could but I can't

You are confusing high fence shooting operations with subdivisions.

Wasn’t there talk of bringing back the wooly Mamoth? You have to be a lawyer to do anything. The guy breeding the monster sheep probably could have it without importing. It just would have taken a lot longer . Always someone trying to “Buck “ the system.

What is hard for me to understand is the mentality of a "hunter" that would pay big money to shoot a domestic animal which is exactly what shooting fenced game is.

That bison deal in North Dakota is no more than shooting domestic cattle and we have members here that do that.

I know whereof I speak because I have assisted on cull hunts to lower the whitetail deer population in a 1000 acre enclosure. I never thought of that as hunting and a whitetail is pretty sneaky compared to western game.

Does anyone watch commercials? Nothing but hybrids everywhere.

Mammoth has 3 m-s - your choice for placement of course, Alan.

High fence/ captive for an invasive non- native species, vs for native species is somewhat different for reasons that should be obvious.

If it isn't, research the problems occurring between native bighorn sheep and domestic " invasive" sheep.

Or farming Atlantic salmon in the Pacific salmon native grounds.

Has nothing to do with high fence hunting.

And Schubarth doesn't have domestice sheep, so the "perceived threat" you brought to the discussion is your own bias creeping out.

Must've skipped that semester where reading comprehension was taught.

It is about Schubarth importing animals and parts and forging vet permits.

The FWP etc have been after this guy for years. Accused him of trapping wild bighorns and putting them in his property and tagging as if they were ranch-raised among other things. And he is an ornery sob that continually gave the FWP and the FWS etc the bird.

But...


But...


But, he is a NATIVE MONTANAN. Heck, there are 3 generations of Native Montanans on this property involved in this operation.

I thought in your world that made him pristine and perfect. And everything he does is wonderful.

Reading comprehension always challenges most on the fire. Seems I always have to suffer a fool.

My high fence shooting comments had to do with replies to other post. Take a minute and read the entire thread then try and understand it. Same with my comments on domestics.


Then there is this:


“

“Anyone with even the slightest bit of knowledge about wild bighorn sheep understand the damage domestic sheep can do to the wild population

Being a transplant bothers you, doesn’t it?

Which has exactly less than zero to do with Schubarths. They don't have domestic sheep.

JFC you are dumb.


Read the entire thread, take a minute to try and understand. If you still struggle get a 10 year old to explain it.

Not in the least. Proud as hell that I was recruited to come here. Hell I was paid to come here.

Proud as hell that I carved out a very prosperous life starting with less than zero and given nothing. And in this state, that is a very hard thing to do. Proud that I have lived and prospered in areas of this state that most couldn't.

So it bothers me not in the least. I just like to highlight the ignorance of your stance that only natives are of any merit.

I note you, once again, avoided the facts offered up. The fact these are wonderful natives which you have deemed to be purest form of human goodness and decency.

By the way, I seem to recall you saying you are in ID now. Welcome to the transplant society.

Could a Bighorn ram impregnate a domestic ewe or vice versa?

Yes; vice versa going to be tricky.

LMAO

Interesting, why is what he is doing any different than what the guys that are doing the exact same thing with Elk and Whitetails on private farms and selling the monsters they create for BIG Dollars on "Canned Hunts"?

I see no difference whatsoever, just saying.

He's using genes from an endangered species. The ESA gets pretty picky about that. Then he isn't telling his customers that they're hybrids - false 'labeling'. They think they're paying for a real bighorn, not a hybrid.

Well in the end all people that pay for Canned Hunts, only want a giant on the wall, to compensate for their tiny peckers lol.

Everything about Canned Hunts is FAKE, so does it really matter? So the outfit owner lied about the genetics, I am sure that the Canned Hunting enthusiasts make up a few lies about the hunt themselves lol.

It's not even real hunting, if you know what I mean?

Anyhow just my thought.

Spending ten years of his life working on it had to count for something even if illegal. Not sure if bigger sheep through science is the same as greed.

Using the genes from an endangered species? Why didn't he make an effort to create more of the endangered species and everyone would be happy.

KB- read through the above replies again. They clearly spell out why it DOES make a difference for several good reasons, lawful, biological, ecological, and ethical.

Even perhaps, in the future, there is a good chance it can f'up local and larger econonies. Like wolves, pike, Asian carp, zebra mussels, chestnut blight, starlings, etc. etc.

Sometimes tho it works a bit better, like pheasants, chukar, honey bees, earthworms. Those were the more rare just good luck.

Canned hunts are illegal in MT.

He should have moved to Texas. Weird exotic crap goes on here all the time.

They aren't hunting them in MT, just breeding them. They're selling them to game ranches in other states, mainly TX. The OP articles says that Marco Polo sheep are illegal to even possess in MT because of the change of spreading disease to other sheep.

No chit.

Lack of reading comprehension always amazes me on the fire


Read and understand killerbees post which I was replying too.

Ever chased an Axis over 5000 acres?, Didn't think so.

For someone who calls others out on not reading threads before commenting, you’ve sure got a lot of ignorance. Did you not read the article?

Killerbee and a few others you’ve responded to never said that the sheep were intended to be sold to canned or high fence operations in Montana.