Two Wyoming men have been ordered to pay thousands in fines and restitution for a lengthy list of poaching charges.

According to Wyoming Game and Fish, Justin Chewning and Steven Macy have been ordered to pay close to $15,000 in fines and have lost their hunting privileges for a number of years.

Officials say the investigation began with concerns about wasted game birds that led to game wardens discovering numerous wildlife violations.

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"During the course of a wasted game bird investigation, Game and Fish wardens learned between Oct. 1 - Oct. 6, 2019 both Chewning and Macy illegally killed mature bull elk within Elk Hunt Area 100 during the closed season, which they tagged with general elk licenses," Game and Fish said.

Game and Fish says Chewning and Macy were hunting Elk on October 4, 2020 in Sublette County when Macy illegally killed a buck mule deer and Chewning illegally tagged it. Later on the same day, they hunted in Elk Hunt Area 100 with a general elk license.

Elk Hunt Area 100 is a limited quota area and did not open until October 8, 2020 that year.

Macy reportedly shot and killed two mature bull elk and Chewning tagged one of the two bulls with his general license tag.

Chewning was initially charged with five counts of intentionally taking antlered big game without a license or during a closed season, two counts of transferring a license, two counts of intentionally wasting edible portions of a game bird and big game back straps and five counts of transporting game without a Wyoming Interstate Game Tag.

Chewning pleaded guilty to three counts of intentionally taking antlered bull elk without a proper license, one count of taking a buck mule deer without a license and one count of transferring a license.

All other charges were dismissed.

Chewning's hunting and fishing privileges were suspended for 15 years and he was ordered to pay $1,585 in fines along with $7,000 in restitution.

As for Macy, he was charged with five counts of intentionally taking antlered big game without a license or during a closed season and two counts of transferring a license. Macy pleaded no contest to one count of taking a buck mule deer without a license and two counts of intentionally taking a bull elk without a proper license.

The rest of Macy's charges were dismissed.

Macy's hunting and fishing privileges were suspended for two years and he was ordered to pay $5,640 in fines along with $1,500 in restitution. He was also ordered to forfeit the Browning .338 rifle used to commit the crimes.

Said Game Warden Kelli Pauling: "This investigation would not have been successful without the skilled assistance provided by Green River Probation and Parole, the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department, the Sweetwater County Attorney's office and the Sublette County Attorney's Office."

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