Big game hunters are caught ‘charging clients huge sums to illegally butcher mountain lions on remote cliffs and ship them across America’ – as sick trophy pictures glamorize their kills

Three big game hunters are facing wildlife charges after allegedly charging clients thousands of dollars to hunt mountain lions and transport them across the country.

Chad Michael Kulow, 44, his partner Andrea May Major, 44, and LaVoy Linton Eborn, 47, are accused of leading unlicensed expeditions into the wilds of Idaho and Wyoming to hunt feral cats.

The trio allegedly killed at least a dozen mountain lions and were charged under the Lacy Act, a federal wildlife law that criminalizes the trade in wildlife that was illegally transported or sold.

Kulow has made no secret of his social media activities, often sharing photos of himself and Major proudly holding an array of cougars and other wildlife they had photographed for sport.

Chad Michael Kulow, his partner Andrea May Major (left) and LaVoy Linton Eborn (right) are facing federal charges after allegedly leading unlicensed trophy hunting expeditions into the wilds of Idaho and Wyoming

According to the indictment against Kulow, Major and Eborn, they charged their clients more than $6,000 each for the opportunity to hunt and kill mountain lions.

During these trips, the mountain lions they hunted would not be part of the permit they had with the state of Ohio, nor of any federally recognized outfitting service for which they worked, reports USA today.

They reportedly worked for a licensed outfitter, but reportedly conducted unlicensed hunts that their employer was unaware of, as the Justice Department said they “began trading illegally in the capacity of outfitters.”

Their ventures began in late 2021, where they “began independently booking clients for mountain lion hunting, accepting direct payment, and guiding hunts in southeastern Idaho and Wyoming.”

Their expeditions were reportedly conducted in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Idaho and western Wyoming, respectively.

After a successful hunt, clients were then illegally sent across the country to locations including Montana, Texas, North Carolina and Alaska, according to court documents.

Kulow and Major (together here) and Eborn allegedly charged customers more than $6,000 each for the opportunity to hunt and kill mountain lions

The hunters made no secret of their activities on social media, often sharing photos showing an array of cougars and other wildlife they had photographed for sport.

Under Idaho Fish and Game laws, licensed hunting outfitters are required to file Big Game Mortality Reports on the trophy animals they kill. However, prosecutors allege that the three falsified their reports, claiming they were conducted under permit.

The three fighters will go on trial in November, with Kulow charged with a total of 13 violations of the Lacey Act, Major with seven counts and Eborn with eight counts.

They face up to five years in prison if convicted, in addition to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release on each charge.

They allegedly promoted their exploits under the company name ‘Lethal Guides and Outfitters’, and Eborn is also accused of providing his own hunting contracts to clients through another entity called ‘EN Hunting Services’.

Both companies were reportedly unlicensed and unknown to the licensed supplier they were working for at the time.

The hunters face up to five years in prison if convicted, in addition to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release on each charge

Kulow responded to a Facebook comment labeling his hunt as “terrible” by saying, “We are in the business of saving deer and people. They are not house cats. They are murderers’

In an October 2020 Facebook post, Kulow proudly shared footage of his hunting excursions, telling his followers, “Utah lions are out! We are ready to hunt lions statewide. Call us to book your dream lion hunt.’

The post was accompanied by several images of the hunters raising huge mountain lions that were bigger than themselves while wearing big smiles on their faces.

When someone said at the images: ‘that’s terrible’, he replied: ‘We are busy saving deer and people.

‘They are not house cats. They’re murderers. Look at predator management,” he added.

The arrests are part of federal prosecutors’ Lacey Act crackdown, which has seen a number of hunters charged this year.

The same week that the charges against Kulow, Major and Eborn were announced, an 81-year-old Montana man was sentenced to six months in prison for violating the Lacey Act.