Idaho Influencer Receives Prison Time, Lifetime Hunting Ban for Wildlife Crimes

On June 2, Joelseph “Joe” Frank Jenkins, 48, of Pocatello, Idaho, was sentenced to two years behind bars and received a lifetime hunting ban after he pleaded guilty to two felonies and two misdemeanors. The felony charges included possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and unlawfully killing or possessing wildlife, while the two misdemeanors were illegally baiting black bears and guiding without a license.

Jenkins’s sentencing comes after years of undercover work from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, which started in 2022. Apparently, Jenkins was conducting illegal baiting and guiding for black bears in Idaho’s Unit 67. During the investigation, an undercover officer participated in Jenkins’s illegal guiding operation and even shot a bear at Jenkins’s instruction.

Originally, the self-proclaimed “American Bearded Warrior” faced 14 charges in Teton County, Idaho (4 felonies and 10 misdemeanors), but had all but two felonies and two misdemeanors dismissed as part of his plea deal.

While Jenkins’s lifetime hunting ban applies to Idaho, it can be recognized by most other states through the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a 49-state agreement that allows wildlife agencies to honor license suspensions imposed elsewhere.

Prior to this incident, Jenkins had already been a convicted felon in Idaho after pleading guilty to grand theft in 2016. This former indictment already made it illegal for Jenkins to possess a firearm.

In addition to his prison sentence and lifetime hunting ban, Jenkins was ordered to pay $9,750 in fines.