California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers boarded a commercial airplane back upstate from San Diego. They’d just left a training session and were in their regular clothes. After takeoff, they randomly overheard a couple talking about hunting federally protected species. The officers decided to casually hop into the discussion.

Mid-air, the couple told the plainclothes officers they checked a federally protected sea turtle skull in their luggage

The CDFW officers shared a flight with the Californians back in November 2023. After they casually interjected, the couple shared several tidbits that implicated them and a family member.

First, they said that they were carrying a protected sea turtle skull from the East Coast with them on the plane.

They also “reminisced” about taking a mountain lion. Mountain lions are a protected species in California. Hunting or possessing the animals in whole or in part is totally illegal.  

Finally, the couple openly discussed a family member’s Napa County “trophy room.” They bragged that the residence contained multiple mountain lions, wolverines, and wolves. The couple shared photos of the room with the CDFW officers.

What started as an amicable interaction exposed the illegal hunting and possession of a sea turtle skull, several mountain lions, a wolverine, a ringtail cat, and other animal trophies

After the flight landed, the officers asked to see the sea turtle. The couple expressed concern about getting caught…so they waited until TSA was nowhere near them before opening their luggage.

They unwrapped a green sea turtle skull from a jacket inside their bag. Green sea turtles are federally protected endangered animals.

Once the CDFW officers got back to the department, they filed search warrants in Butte and Napa Counties

Upon arriving at the couple’s Butte residence, they saw the couple processing a deer they’d killed earlier that day. But it wasn’t deer season…and the couple didn’t have any legal tags.

Inside the home, officials identified a list of illegal trophies: a mounted barn owl, mountain lion claws, a ringtail cat, and a spike buck. They also discovered more deer, taken illegally without tags.

Over in Napa County, the CDFW confirmed two whole mountain lion trophies and a taxidermied wolverine. Both are protected species in California.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked with the CDFW on the search, investigation, and prosecution.

Last month, the accused were handed fines, probation periods, and in some instances, are prohibited from hunting for some time. Officials seized all of the animal remains.