The Utah hunting guide is accused of illegally baiting a bear that Don Trump Jr. killed on a big game tour in 2018
- Utah’s Wade Lemon is accused of illegally baiting a bear that Trump Jr. killed
- The charges stem from a 2018 big-game trip by Trump Jr. in the Beehive State
- Prosecutors say Lemon illegally set bait consisting of “grain, oil and biscuits.”
- Trump Jr. not accused of wrongdoing, and DA says he ‘may actually be a victim’
A Utah hunting guide has been accused of illegally baiting a bear that Don Trump Jr. shot dead on a big game hunt in 2018.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Wade Lemon faces up to five years in prison for felony charges filed Tuesday just before the four-year statute of limitations expired in Davis County.
In indictment documents, Lemon, a popular hunting guide, is accused of leaving a pile of “grain, oil and biscuits” in view of a wildlife camera marked with his company logo.
Prosecutors say there is no evidence the former president’s son knew about the alleged hate scheme and he has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the case.
Hunting guide Wade Lemon has been accused of using illegal bait to attract a bear that Don Trump Jr. shot in 2018
Don Trump Jr. is seen on his hunting trip to Utah in May 2018. Prosecutors say there is no evidence supporting the alleged hate scheme and that he has not been charged with any wrongdoing
Although court documents do not identify Trump Jr. as the hunter who killed the bear Lemon allegedly baited, the Utah Department of Natural Resources confirmed his identity as the principal of the hunt.
Davis County Prosecutor Troy Rawlings told the Tribune, without naming Trump Jr., that the hunter in the case was “actually a victim and now a possible witness in a fraudulent scheme to make the hunter believe it was happening.” actually a legitimate wild west hunting situation.’
Arthur Schwartz, a spokesman for Trump Jr., responded to a request for comment late Saturday by calling a reporter a “ridiculous clown.”
Lemon did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but told the Tribune in a brief interview that he was surprised by the charges, saying, “As far as I knew, everything was fine.”
Many US states issue a limited number of bear hunting tags each year to help control populations. But Utah, like other states, has strict rules regarding the use of bait to attract an animal for the purpose of hunting.
Trump Jr. is seen with tour guide Wade Lemon (center) at the 2018 trip. He is known as an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hunting and fishing trips
Trump Jr. visited Utah in May 2018 to help found Hunter Nation, a hunter advocacy group
Trump Jr. visited Utah in May 2018 to help found Hunter Nation, a hunter advocacy group.
“Great weekend in Utah with some good friends in nature,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
According to the Tribune, Trump Jr. bagged two rare kills on the trip, a black bear on May 18 and a cougar on May 19.
However, Trump Jr. has never publicly shared photos of himself with either murder. He is known as an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hunting and fishing trips.
According to prosecution documents, a witness identified Lemon who radioed his associates for bear hunting instructions, and the pile of allegedly illegal bait was later discovered near his wildlife camera.
Trump Jr. shared some of the views and scenery from his Utah trip in an Instagram post
The indictment documents also include evidence from an associate who claimed Lemon had him set the bait on the spot several weeks before the hunt.
Lemon has been operating hunting and outdoor trips throughout the United States and Canada since 1978, according to its company website.
“At no time in recent history have the opportunities for big games been better. Many trophies are won in the record class every year,” he wrote in a biography.
“My family has farmed and hunted a lot in this country for the last 150 years. There is a lot of beauty and history in this country. Come let me share with you what I call “God’s Country”.