24-year-old Kody Bjorlow of Arvada, Colorado is being accused of illegally killing a Nebraska bighorn sheep. On the afternoon of Nov. 14th Bjorlow was traveling near the Wildcat Hills south of Gering. Somewhere along County Road 20 near Peaceful Valley Road Bjorlow spotted the bighorn sheep. At that point, Kody allegedly shot the bighorn sheep.
Bjorlow is being charged with multiple wildlife crimes. Firstly, he was charged with misdemeanor Hunting During a Closed Season for shooting the bighorn while out of season. Secondly, he was charged with Hunting Without a Permit due to the poaching taking place during the November rifle deer season.
After the poaching, wildlife officials responded to the scene. After an investigation by the Nebraska Game and Parks Department, charges were filed on Dec. 29 against Bjorlow. During the week of January 8th, Kody Bjorlow pleaded not guilty to both charges. As a result, a pre-trial for the case has been set for Feb. 22.
If found guilty, Bjorlow could face up to $2,000 dollars in fines and up to $25,000 in liquidated damages for illegally killing a bighorn sheep.
Recently, Nebraska has been in the news a number of times due to high amounts of poaching cases as well as the Hidden Hills Outfitters poaching saga. As a result, the Nebraska Game and Parks Department is making a push to combat poaching in the state. In 2020, the state wrote 3,771 wildlife citations. The highest written citations in over 10 years. The state hopes that with stronger enforcement that poaching will fall. Likewise, the Nebraska Game and Parks Department is asking anyone that sees something they expect is wrong to report it. You can report poaching to any local Department office or you can call (402) 471-0641.
