Wade Lemon, a prominent Utah hunting guide, has been celebrated for bringing “literally tens of millions of dollars” into rural communities and contributing to the conservation of game herds. However, his legacy now faces serious scrutiny as he begins a two-month federal prison sentence for staging illegal hunts. Lemon, 63, admitted to using unethical methods to lure mountain lions during hunts in 2020 and 2021. In his guilty plea, he conceded that his oversight “fell short” when clients were called in after mountain lions had already been tracked and cornered by his team, a clear violation of hunting laws.

Lemon’s case reveals a deeper issue within the trophy hunting industry, where wealthy, politically connected clients are shielded from accountability, while wildlife suffers. His federal conviction is only part of his legal troubles. He is also facing a felony charge in state court for a 2018 hunt, where Donald Trump Jr. shot a black bear and a cougar within two days. This hunt, part of the inauguration of a conservative political group called Hunter Nation, has been delayed nine times, raising questions about whether Trump Jr.’s political influence has played a role in slowing down justice.

In 2018, prosecutors alleged that Lemon used illegal bait—“a pile of grain, oil, and pastries”—to lure the black bear that Trump Jr. shot. Although Trump Jr. was not named directly in recent court hearings, Lemon’s defense attorney acknowledged the political sensitivities involved, saying that “one of the parties involved has got some significant political connections,” and suggested that seating an impartial jury might be difficult due to the client’s fame and connections.

Lemon’s leadership was also called into question during his federal sentencing. Prosecutors argued that his role in organizing these illegal hunts created a “culture of unlawfulness,” influencing younger houndsmen and sub-guides to participate in unethical practices. According to the prosecution, “Wade Lemon created a culture of unlawfulness,” contributing to a pattern of cheating and exploiting wildlife for profit. 

These staged hunts, or “canned hunts,” offer a lucrative business model. Prosecutors noted that Lemon’s cougar hunts boasted a “nearly 100%” success rate, a figure that is nearly impossible to achieve in ethical hunts, which are typically uncertain and require long hours and physical effort. The reality, according to court documents, is that Lemon’s clients were often brought in after the mountain lions had already been located and treed by dogs. In one instance, a hunter shot a cougar just 37 minutes after arriving because the animal had been caught while the client was “still in church.”

The prosecution highlighted that Lemon charged between $5,000 and $7,000 for these staged hunts, making them far more profitable than legal hunts, which can involve risk and uncertainty. “Legal mountain lion hunts can involve risk and long days with uncertainty,” prosecutors wrote, adding that “‘canned hunts’ are much more profitable.” 

In the most serious of the pending charges, Lemon faces a third-degree felony for the wanton destruction of protected wildlife during the 2018 hunt with Trump Jr. The case has been mired in delays, but defense attorney Greg Law hinted at the potential influence of Trump Jr.’s political connections, noting that “special care might need to be taken in the trial,” given the involvement of “a famous” individual.

The mountain lions and bears that fell victim to Lemon’s illegal hunts are the true victims in this case. These animals were reduced to trophies for wealthy clients too lazy to hunt ethically, but eager to mount heads on their walls. Yet, despite the overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing, Lemon’s powerful allies and clients continue to paint him as the victim of an overzealous legal system. His lawyers have argued that the damage to his reputation and business is punishment enough, even as Lemon was sentenced to two months in federal prison and banned for one year from conducting commercial hunts on federal lands.

The case also underscores the influence of political connections on wildlife law enforcement. The 2018 hunt involving Trump Jr. was initially investigated by the Utah Attorney General’s office, led by Sean Reyes, a close ally of Donald Trump. Reyes, who campaigned for Trump and even flew to Nevada to investigate election results after Trump’s defeat in 2020, later declared a conflict of interest, and the case was handed over to the Davis County attorney’s office. This political entanglement raises questions about how justice is administered when powerful figures are involved.

Despite the public outcry and years of investigations, Lemon’s company has avoided serious consequences for similar incidents in the past. Investigations into unethical hunts date back to 2009, including one in which Lemon’s employees allegedly trapped a bear by building a fire to prevent it from escaping the tree it had climbed to avoid the pack of hunting dogs, and another in which they conducted a canned cougar hunt in 2011. In both cases, no charges were filed.

Lemon’s business has operated in a legal grey area for years, profiting from unethical hunts while building a reputation as a conservationist. But the reality is that these canned hunts exploit wildlife, violate conservation laws, and perpetuate a cycle of greed and deception. While Lemon may face consequences now, the broader issue remains: political influence and wealth continue to allow trophy hunters to evade laws meant to protect wildlife, leaving animals as the true victims in this ongoing exploitation.