Wildlife Troopers arrested two out of state men on September 9 for wanton waste during a caribou hunt.
A Trooper based out of Kotzebue responded to a report of the alleged waste on September 7, traveling to the area to investigate.
He found that 63-year-old Steven Kregel of Iowa had killed a cow caribou and afterwards, he and his hunting partner, 65-year-old Thomas Brandt of Arizona spotted a group of large bull caribou and killed two.
The two men proceeded to return to the cow and drag it down a bank into willows in an attempt to conceal it by covering it with leaves.
Kregel was arrested and remanded to Kotzebue Regional Jail on charges of wanton waste and attempted tampering with physical evidence; He plead guilty to both counts, was sentenced to 30 days in jail with 29 suspended for time served, fined $5000 with $2000 suspended for the wanton charge, as well as $3000 with $1500 suspended for the attempted tampering with evidence charge. He was also ordered to pay $850 restitution for the wasted caribou and will forfeit his rifle, the antlers, cape and meat of the bull he killed, as well as forfeiture of hunting privileges in the State of Alaska for five years
His partner Brandt was also arrested. Brandt pled guilty to the charge of attempted tampering with evidence and was sentenced to 30 days in jail with 29 suspended for time served. He was fined $3000 with $1500 suspended and also loses his hunting privileges in the State of Alaska for five years.
