AK Wildlife Troopers
AK14075385
Location: McGrath
Type: Unlawful Acts Guide
Dispatch Text:
On 12/23/15, the Office of Special Prosecutions, Fish and Game Unit, Charged Master Guide Thomas G. Shankster, 60 of Aurora CO, with eight counts of Unlawful Acts while acting as a Big Game guide in Game Management Unit (GMU) 19. This investigation began during the fall of 2014, where the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, McGrath Post, accomplished an investigation regarding Shankster and his guiding business “Alaska Trophy Hunts” (ATH) which is primarily based near the Mouth of the Dillinger River and substantiated that Shankster had committed the crime of Wanton Waste on at least five occasions (both Moose and Caribou), failed to report two known violations by his assistant guides (sub-legal sheep and antlers before meat), and committed Unsworn Falsification on at least one Hunt Record showing that meat had been salvaged when in fact it hadn’t. Spoiled meat samples were collected from three caribou and three moose and three sets of caribou antlers, three sets of moose antlers, and a sub legal set of sheep horns were seized as part of the investigation. The scope of this investigation was substantial, requiring extensive asset usage, including both fixed-wing and helicopter, and involved intensive man-power (nearly 1,000 hours) from nine Alaska Wildlife Troopers. At least 41 separate witness and/or suspect interviews were conducted for the investigation in addition to essential evidentiary compilation and a lengthy report documenting the illegal acts. Shankster is to be arraigned in the Aniak District Court on January 20, 2016.
Is that person a resident of Alaska or not? Never understood how someone that lives in another state can be a licensed Alaska guide. Being a non-resident, if he wanted to hunt sheep, goats, big bear, etc; he'd have to hire a guide himself. Regardless, if he's a violator, stick it to him.
"Coincidentally", that name has surfaced more than once in the last few years.
He's has been featured in that show building Alaska...
Is that person a resident of Alaska or not? Never understood how someone that lives in another state can be a licensed Alaska guide. Being a non-resident, if he wanted to hunt sheep, goats, big bear, etc; he'd have to hire a guide himself. Regardless, if he's a violator, stick it to him.
That guy is not a resident but alot of Alaskans would like to see only residents can guide but commerce laws prevent that and if the state did it would violate the law and be overturned. You are correct they wold have to hire a guide themselves to hunt Brn bear, sheep and goat
Never understood the industry-never will
Thought I recognized the name.
This is the guide that a hunter had trouble with and documented the ABSOLUTE WRECK he experienced with Shankster when hunting moose.
http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=260920Sounds pretty bad to me.
There is nothing new about Shankster being shady.
Shankster does something that is very unprofessional in my view. He gets young non-resident GIs stationed in Alaska who are in decent shape and has them work as packers for a year then as assistant guides for a year and then offers them a hunt for two years worth of work. The key is that he gets them out there and puts them in a situation that they have to wait and wait and then either return without hunting, hunting an area that has been hunted out or taking a caribou for two years worth of work.
He has abandoned clients and guides out in the field having them have to walk their way back to main camp.
Sincerely,
Thomas
How much of the states $ was sucked into this investigation? He better get slammed and have EVERYTHING taken to pay for all the work that went into this.
Fine him so much that it covers the cost plus some, and never allow him to guide again.
He will get the normal penalty, a slap on the wrist.
My guess is you're not familiar with how Alaska treats guide violations. Most likely he'll have to forfeit boats, aircraft etc used in the violations as part of his "slap on the wrist".
Thats at least some good news!
Prankster ought to be banned for life.
I definantly agree, any individual, who intentionally violates our game laws, or any law for that mater, should have the maximum penalty thrown at them.
On regards to the resident issue, regardless of The State of Alaska' definition of residency, Federal law defines a resident, as "A individual, who maintains a residence, with the intent of living in it"! Federal law supersedes state law.
In other words, as long as I maintain a residence, regardless if, or how long I live in it, as long as I intend
(maybe) to eventually reside there, I am a resident. I don't have to own, I can just lease or rent! This is how so many vacationers are allowed to come up every once in awhile, get a salmon and halibut subsistence permit, and rape our fisheries!
OOPS, I am in error! The definition of "Resident", Was one I got from my 2010 " Federal Subsistance Regulations". I just read the "Management Regulations for the Harvest of Wildlife, of Federal Public Lands, 2014--2016" It does define a resident as "Any person who has their PRIMARY,PERAMNENT home for the previous 12 months in Alaska, and when absent from this primary, permanent home, does intend to return."
My Bad!
Yeah, I was looking hard for your definition and not finding it...
fed definitions apply to lots of stuff, like buying a gun... but different definitions for hunting and fishing licenses, PFD, yada, yada, yada, are based on different legislation...
My buddy has a $3800 deposit with this guy for a 2016 ram hunt. What would you do? If his license gets revoked, is there any recourse?
I definantly agree, any individual, who intentionally violates our game laws, or any law for that mater, should have the maximum penalty thrown at them.
On regards to the resident issue, regardless of The State of Alaska' definition of residency, Federal law defines a resident, as "A individual, who maintains a residence, with the intent of living in it"! Federal law supersedes state law.
In other words, as long as I maintain a residence, regardless if, or how long I live in it, as long as I intend
(maybe) to eventually reside there, I am a resident. I don't have to own, I can just lease or rent! This is how so many vacationers are allowed to come up every once in awhile, get a salmon and halibut subsistence permit, and rape our fisheries!
The commercial draggers rape far more than a few DSMF vacationers do........not that I'm defending them either.
My buddy has a $3800 deposit with this guy for a 2016 ram hunt. What would you do? If his license gets revoked, is there any recourse?
I personally would ask for it back, but if not, you go and take your chances...be sure of whats legal though..you are responsible in the end. Area, size, age, so on...
Very likely the huckster will not be operating by then...
That would be good fortune!
I wonder if Shankster's salesman, NMLarry, will return to defend him on here:
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/8301886/Re:_2014_Sheep_and_Moose_Hunts#Post8301886
There is little doubt in my mind as well as my guide's mind that he was using his Cub to push sheep to hunters already in the field. It's a real shame we weren't able to video this for evidence. A story of a chain of events is all we have to go from.
My buddy has a $3800 deposit with this guy for a 2016 ram hunt. What would you do? If his license gets revoked, is there any recourse?
Were I your buddy I would immediately try and get his money back. Chances are he will not and should file a suit asap because there is sure to be a line. Closer to the front of the line he is the better his chances at getting some of his money.
Personally I wouldn't be very optimistic about it.
AK Wildlife Troopers
AK15043302
Location: Bethel
Type: Big Game Guide Convictions
Dispatch Text:
On 1/27/15, Master Big Game Guide Michael Wade Renfro, owner and operator of Renfro’s Alaskan Adventures, pled guilty to one count of Committing, Aiding, or Allowing a Violation of a Client and one count of Unsworn Falsification in the Aniak District Court. Renfro collectively was fined $30,517.00 with $26,000.00 suspended and had his Guide and Transporters License suspended for a period of 6 months in both 2016 and 2017. He was also ordered to provide $100,000.00 worth of air travel to the Lower Kuskokwim and Kuspuk School District between 2016 and 2018 and provide proof of completion by 12/31/18. Renfro was placed on probation until 1/27/19.
Also involved in the same incident was Master Guide Joseph Andrew Miller, of Fairbanks. Miller pled guilty to one count of Failing to Report a Violation and one count of Committing, Aiding, or Allowing a Violation of a Client. Miller in total was fined $30,517.00 with $26,000.00 suspended and had his Guide License suspended for one year beginning 11/1/16. Miller was placed on probation until 1/27/19.
The client in this incident Theresa M. Vail of Wichita KS, had previously pled guilty to one count of take game without non-resident big game tag on 1/6/16. Vail was fined $1,183.00 including restitution and forfeited a brown bear hide and skull to the State.
Sounds like some creative wrist slapping, while infringing on the incomes, perhaps, of some of the local air carriers which the schools might otherwise have used.
That 100G thing for a school to waste on sending kids to basketball games seems pretty far removed from a bear hunt.
Beats a cash fine for the guide, though, and keeps it local; less for the State's middle men to siphon off from. Perhaps the lucky Spelling Bee participants or teachers' inservice or maintenance personnel will get to see some less mundane terrain or buzz a few critters too.
So trooper spent huge amounts to track down a few counts of wasted meat, but they didn't do dick to the Natives who shot that entire heard of caribou in a drunken killfest a couple years ago?
In the four cases of Natives poaching out here that I remember, they've only been given a small fine, like $500 which was dismissed.
Why don't the troopers prosecute an investigation equally?
So trooper spent huge amounts to track down a few counts of wasted meat, but they didn't do dick to the Natives who shot that entire heard of caribou in a drunken killfest a couple years ago?
In the four cases of Natives poaching out here that I remember, they've only been given a small fine, like $500 which was dismissed.
Why don't the troopers prosecute an investigation equally?
Prosecutors prosecute... Troopers enforce...
Any A hole that takes people into the wilds of Alaska with the intention of cheating them, should surrender all wealth and then be hanged.
So an outfitter that screws over dozens of clients and gets busted for illegal harvest and wanton waste of meat gets a $5,000 fine and a 2-year suspension and has to give schools $100,000 worth of air (30 cents on the dollar, if that)?
He needs to never be allowed to be an outfitter again.
Period.