Bragging OK Hunter Accused Of Illegally Killing Wildlife Out Of State

An Oklahoma Hunter bragging about his kill in a magazine tips off a multi-agency investigation. 

Kyle McCormack pleaded guilty to illegally killing wildlife in another state and bringing it back to Oklahoma.

Several agencies worked together on this case including the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and US fish and Wildlife Service. But it was McCormack who played the biggest role when he wrote an article about himself in a National Hunting magazine.

The article appeared in the July 2012 edition of Buckmasters magazine and included pictures of the racks of two whitetail bucks. Gale Gwennap, a Kansas Hunter, was reading the article and noticed something suspicious.

"Struck me as odd in the article he shot two deers in Kansas in the same year, one with archery equipment, one with rifle equipment. I've been a lifetime resident of Kansas and it struck me as odd in the article he shot two deers in Kansas in the same year," said Gwennap. "You've never been able to take more than one deer per year."

He contacted the Kansas Department of Wildlife. They contacted the US department of Fish and Wildlife. An investigation that included social media and a search of McCormack's home ended in charges being filed in federal court.

Court papers show investigators found antlers from a bull elk and Black Tail deer that McCormack killed in Capitol State Forest in Washington State, where he didn't have the correct hunting license. Investigators say McCormack then brought antlers back here to Oklahoma.

"Most people don't put the information out there for us to find in a magazine most of the time you have to go find it. They don't print a story about it," said Oklahoma game warden Bill Hale.

"I think it's just typical of the want-to-be professional hunters who go to any extreme to get their name in the paper and make headlines," added Gwennap.

Calls to McCormack's attorney were not returned by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. An investigation here in Oklahoma into McCormack is still open.

As part of a plea deal, McCormack was sentenced to probation and a $500 fine. He also agreed to pay $2,500 into the Lacey Act Reward Account.