Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner Charged in Poaching Case

 

In another case of “do as I say, not as I do,” an Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner has been charged with multiple Fish and Game misdemeanor crimes.  On March 6th, 2026, charges were filed in a Fremont County Magistrate Court on Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner Brody Harshbarger.

These charges included three counts of unlawful taking of game, not possessing the appropriate tag, shooting from a roadway, hunting from a motorized vehicle, and trespassing on private property while hunting.  

These charges stem from a December hunting trip where two elk, including a 6-point bull and a cow elk were killed on private property.  Harshbarger had filled his tag the weekend before but the other person with Harshbarger still had a tag to fill.  

Idaho Fish and Game received a tip from the Citizens Against Poaching hotline about shots being fired in the area neighboring Yellowstone National Park.  Neither Harshbarger nor the other hunter with him had permission to hunt on the private property where the elk were located.

Harshbarger is an appointed Commissioner for the Upper Snake River Region of Idaho.  The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is a body of individuals that are appointed by the Governor in staggering four-year terms and confirmed by the State Senate.  Harshbarger’s term is set to end on June 30th, 2027.  

It is important to remember that Commissioners are not employees of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and are solely appointed by the Governor.  The Commissioners are responsible for administering policies around fish and wildlife for the state.  On IDFG’s Commission website it states the following about the Commissioners.

“To be appointed, commissioners must be a bona fide resident of the region from which they are appointed, and be well informed and interested in wildlife conservation and restoration. “

It does not sound like to me that Harshbarger was “well informed and interested in wildlife conservation and restoration.”  Harshbarger was supposed to be at the latest Commission meeting on March 25th where the Commission was to take action on topics like the Unit 40 Big Horn Sheep hunt.  If you remember from a few months ago, pneumonia was located in the Reynolds Creek bighorn herd.   

Harshbarger was not at that meeting and will likely not be at any meetings while the case is being adjudicated.  Harshbarger has voluntarily postponed his appointment while the case is still pending.  Harshbarger pled not guilty to all the charges on March 16th and is set for a pre-trial hearing on April 29th, 2026.  

If convicted, Harshbarger could see jail time, fines, and suspension of his hunting privileges.  Cases like this rarely end up in a trial because both sides (the State and Defendant) usually come to an agreement via a plea deal.  It is important to remember that Harshbarger is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.