Hunting party hangover: 12 men face 114 criminal charges after a series of illegal South Hills hunts

TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Two hunting trips to the South Hills have led to 114 charges, after investigation shows a group of men didn't have tags for Game Management Unit 54's controlled hunt.

(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)

A group of men were identified on a series of hunting trips in 2023 in the South Hills, just north of the Nevada border in southern Twin Falls County.

Investigators say they observed men loading five deer heads into an enclosed trailer but did not see evidence of coolers large enough to store meat from five deer.

In Idaho, hunters are required to salvage a certain portion of meat from each animal, to not do so is considered wasting of game.

Upon contacting the hunters, investigators say they were unable to produce evidence of possessing tags for unit 54, a controlled hunt unit.

But that's not all.

Investigators used surveillance video from local Jackpot businesses, cell phone records, and geodata for photos and messages which helped them identify the location of the crimes. They also received warrants to search phone data and social media accounts, turning up still more photos, videos and messages from previous illegal hunting trips.

Boise business owner Robert Zeko is a central figure in the case, facing 34 charges, with 13 of those being felonies for illegal taking of game, illegal possession, and illegal wasting of game.

Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Jim Stirling was not able to speak about this case as it is still under investigation, but he did talk to me about the enforcement of wildlife laws.

"Unit 54 is pretty unique unlike many other places in the state, access is very high," Stirling said. "There's over 800 miles of road and trail so access to sportsman is very easy."

Stirling told me that as a controlled hunt area, game management Unit 54 had only 300 deer tags available this year, making it a coveted hunt. Generally controlled hunts come with the possibility of a better-than-average large game harvest, for people seeking trophy-quality deer.

"Having that as a controlled hunt helps us manage those animals just a little bit better so we can set the number of animals that are potentially going to be taken," Stirling said.

In all, the investigation has led to 114 charges, with 53 of those being felonies.

"We kind of reserve (felonies) for the people that are purposefully out there trying to do it wrong," Stirling said.