Post Falls man hide moose after killing two

A Post Falls man faces felony charges for killing two moose and hiding one while hunting on Friday in the Naples area.

Chad D. Whitesitt was apparently riding in a truck at dawn when he spotted two moose running down Falls Creek Road, said Greg Johnson, senior conservation officer with Idaho Department of Fish and Game in Boundary County.

“He got out of the pickup and was shooting down the road,” Johnson said.

Whitesitt, who had a moose tag, allegedly wounded both animals. He then killed both, gutted one and took it with him, and hid the second moose under some brush about 30 to 40 feet off the road, Johnson said.

A passerby saw the blood in the snow, found the dead moose and reported the matter.

Game officials found Whitesitt on a hunch. There were six moose tags issued for the area for the hunting period.

“We started going down the permit list (interviewing for possible suspects),” Johnson said.

That’s how they located Whitesitt, who had a moose tag for the area. When game officials went to Post Falls, they found the moose hanging in a shop, Johnson said.

Whitesitt admitted to shooting both moose.

“I don’t think he intended to shoot two,” Johnson said. “He made a poor decision. He should’ve been a little more careful to begin with. Carelessness in shooting ended up with a bad decision.”

By the time the moose was found, it was no longer salvageable.

Whitesitt faces charges of taking more than one moose and wasting game, both felonies. He also faces a misdemeanor charge for shooting from a public road.

Whitesitt could lose his hunting privileges for life.

“It’s not likely,” Johnson said. “He doesn’t have a history (of charges).”