An Idaho Fish and Game commissioner responsible for setting the state’s hunting regulations and overseeing the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is facing seven criminal hunting-related charges, according to Idaho court records reviewed by the Idaho Capital Sun.
Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner Brody Harshbarger has pleaded not guilty to all charges through his attorney, and a pre-trial hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on April 29 at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho.
Seven Charges Spanning Multiple Alleged Violations
Court records indicate Harshbarger faces the following misdemeanor charges: two counts of hunting or attempting to take a big game animal unlawfully, hunting without a valid tag, shooting from across a public highway, hunting with the aid of a motorized vehicle, failing to make a reasonable effort to retrieve a game animal, and trespassing to hunt or fish.
According to court records, the alleged incidents occurred on December 20. For the first count of unlawfully taking a big game animal, Harshbarger allegedly shot a 6-point bull elk out of season and/or aided or abetted another person in doing so. For the second count, he allegedly unlawfully shot an antlerless bull elk on Bureau of Reclamation property and/or aided or abetted another in doing so.
On the charge of hunting without a valid tag, court records allege that Harshbarger shot or killed an elk on Bureau of Reclamation property after he had already filled his tag for the season, meaning he no longer possessed a valid elk tag at the time the animal was taken.
Court records further allege that Harshbarger illegally shot an elk from the driver’s seat of a pickup truck and illegally shot at elk across Spring Hollow Road — and/or aided and abetted another person in doing so. Records also allege that Harshbarger failed to make a reasonable effort to retrieve a game animal after killing it, or aided and abetted another person who did so.
A Commissioner Who Sets the Rules Now Accused of Breaking Them
The charges carry particular significance given Harshbarger’s official role in Idaho’s wildlife management structure. As a member of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, Harshbarger is part of the governing body responsible for establishing the hunting and fishing regulations that all Idaho sportsmen and women are required to follow — the very rules he now stands accused of violating.
Idaho’s hunting laws exist to protect the state’s wildlife populations, preserve fair chase traditions, and ensure that game animals are treated with respect after harvest. Provisions such as the prohibition against shooting from a motorized vehicle and the requirement to make a reasonable effort to retrieve harvested animals are foundational to responsible, ethical hunting practice — principles that Idaho sportsmen across the Palouse, the mountains of Latah County, and the broader state have long upheld.
Idaho’s agricultural communities, including those across Latah County, have a deep and longstanding connection to hunting traditions. Families throughout the region depend on elk and deer harvests as an important supplement to their livelihoods and as a cultural cornerstone passed down through generations. Violations of this nature — particularly when alleged against a state official entrusted with protecting those traditions — draw sharp attention from the hunting community and the general public alike.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game enforces hunting regulations across the state, including in regions frequented by hunters from Moscow, Troy, Deary, Genesee, and throughout Latah County. Idaho’s strict tagging and retrieval requirements are intended to prevent waste of wildlife resources and ensure accountability for every animal harvested.
What Comes Next
Harshbarger’s pre-trial hearing is scheduled for April 29 at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho. He has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges through his legal counsel. As of publication, he remains a sitting member of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.
It is not yet clear whether state officials or the commission itself will take any administrative action related to the charges. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Latah County News will continue to follow this case as it moves through the courts. For broader statewide coverage of Idaho government and law enforcement matters, readers can visit Idaho News and the Idaho News Network.