Man convicted for buying illegally taken wildlife

COEUR d’ALENE — A man who purchased illegally taken wildlife, including a golden eagle and mountain lion kittens, could face prison time.

A jury convicted Gordon A. Wilson last week of nine counts of felony purchasing unlawfully taken wildlife, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

Wilson, 65, had been the owner of Northern Leather and Craft Supply in Hayden since 2016. Now closed, the business dealt in leather, hides, feathers and other animal products and items.

Throughout 2021 and 2022, Wilson purchased unlawfully taken wildlife from undercover officers with Idaho Fish and Game.

While on trial, Wilson testified that the officers first sold him legal hides and furs. Later on, they brought in a mountain lion that had been snared, which Wilson agreed to buy. In Idaho, it is illegal to snare or trap any mountain lion.

Wilson ultimately purchased eight unlawfully taken mountain lions, including two spotted kittens that had been killed by hounds. Some of the lions had been killed by trapping. Others came without a validated tag attached to the carcass or with no big game mortality report.

Prosecutors said Wilson instructed the officers on the best way to hide snare marks when they brought him more lions in the future — specifically, by cutting off the head and paws, the most valuable parts, above the snare mark.

Wilson also purchased a golden eagle, which is a federally protected species and illegal to possess under state law. He reportedly cut off the eagle’s head and feet and suggested the sellers dispose of the carcass in a dumpster.

On the final day of the trial, Wilson took the stand and told the court he knew he was violating the law when he purchased the animals and parts.

“I’m guilty of all those things and I did it for a profit,” he said.

Wilson said he paid $20 for the golden eagle’s head and feet and sold them for $100. The average profit on each mountain lion was $100, he said.

The jury deliberated for a little more than an hour before returning a guilty verdict on all counts.

First District Judge John Mitchell ordered that Wilson be held without bail, in part because Wilson allegedly threatened to kill the sellers if they reported him to the authorities.

“If anybody comes to my door, I will hunt you down and I will kill you,” Wilson reportedly said.

Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 28.