Ghost Poachers: Tracking Suspicious Shots at the Bighorn River | Wardens | S4 E12

In this high-stakes episode of Wardens, Montana’s law enforcement officers navigate a series of unusual calls and ethical gray areas. In Region 5, Warden Nick Taylor responds to a heated dispute where a local landowner is "holding a duck hostage" after hunters allegedly shot over a resident's head. Watch as Nick uses his "warden magic" to de-escalate a public safety concern and verify the legality of a suspicious group of hunters who seem to disappear the moment the law arrives. Meanwhile, on the Beartooth Game Range, Warden Brian Goalie deals with the chaotic opening morning of elk season. He encounters a startling situation where a hunter fired at a legal bull, only to find a second spike elk dead nearby. Was it a "pass-through" shot or a second illegal hunter in the area? Brian must piece together the ballistics to decide if this is a case of accidental harvest or intentional poaching. Finally, we return to the banks of the Bighorn River at dusk, where a routine boat check reveals a hunter missing both his state and federal waterfowl stamps—a $135 mistake that funds vital wetland conservation. Subscribe to follow the real-life patrols, wildlife investigations, and expert de-escalations of the Montana Game Wardens!