A Tennessee hunter has received one of the most severe penalties available under Montana wildlife law—a lifetime loss of hunting and fishing privileges—after being convicted in a string of poaching cases spanning multiple years.
Jerry “Trey” Truitt III, of Tennessee, was sentenced following several wildlife violations investigated by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) wardens across Ravalli, Lake, and surrounding counties. Authorities described the case as a pattern of repeated illegal hunting activity, rather than an isolated mistake.
Multiple Illegal Hunts Across Montana
The most recent case concluded April 2, 2026, in Ravalli County, where Truitt pleaded no contest to five criminal charges tied to illegal hunting activity.
Those violations included:
- Unlawful possession of wildlife, including a wild turkey and a sandhill crane
- Hunting without a valid license
- Criminal trespass on private property
- Hunting during a closed season
- Killing a sandhill crane in an area where no crane season was open
Sandhill crane harvests are tightly regulated in Montana, with hunting allowed only in specific regions and seasons. Killing one outside those authorized areas is considered a serious violation.
Earlier Violations Led to Escalating Penalties
The 2026 convictions were not the first time Truitt faced wildlife charges. Investigators tied the lifetime revocation to multiple earlier incidents, including:
April 2025 Violations:
- Illegally killed an antlerless elk without holding the required license
- Illegally killed an antlerless white-tailed deer
- Possessed unlawfully taken game animals
2024 Lake County Case:
- Used another person’s hunting license
- Illegally hunted waterfowl
- Obstructed justice during the investigation
- Illegally hunted in the Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area
Using another person’s license is treated as a significant offense because it undermines licensing systems designed to manage wildlife harvest levels.
Lifetime Ban on Hunting and Fishing
Because of the repeat nature of the violations, courts imposed a lifetime revocation of hunting and fishing privileges.
While the order originates in Montana, the consequences likely extend far beyond state lines.
Montana participates in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, an agreement among most U.S. states that honors license suspensions issued elsewhere. That means Truitt will likely be unable to legally purchase hunting licenses in most participating states, including his home state of Tennessee.
In addition to the lifetime ban, courts also ordered:
- Fines and restitution payments
- Seizure of equipment used in the violations
- Permanent loss of legal access to hunting and fishing privileges
Why Cases Like This Matter to Hunters
Wildlife officials emphasize that repeated violations can result in severe long-term consequences, especially when they involve:
- Multiple species
- Hunting without licenses
- Trespassing
- License fraud
- Hunting during closed seasons
For lawful hunters, enforcement actions like this are intended to protect wildlife populations and preserve fair access to limited hunting opportunities.
Montana wardens noted that the investigation relied on multi-year enforcement work, illustrating how repeated violations can accumulate into lifetime penalties when patterns of illegal behavior are documented.
