Two Wildlife Officers Were Shot Execution-Style In ‘Self-Defense’
Ironically, it was not the murderer’s but the officers’ behavior questioned in court.
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Being a rule-breaker, Claude Dallas was a self-obsessed man who believed he was above the law. He enjoyed hunting animals and even made a career out of it. Claude frequently partook in illegal poaching of animals, getting a special kick out of it. One day, it led to a run-in with the police resulting in a surprising chain of events that divided the jury and the public on who should be held accountable.
Love For Hunting Grows
Claude was born the son of a dairy farmer on 11 March 1950 in Morrow County, Ohio. He became more interested in hunting animals than following in his father’s footsteps with time. It started as a teenage hobby and developed into a career as a trapper. Soon, he called himself a ‘self-styled mountain man’.
In his mid-20s, Claude began living off the land mostly around and in Southern Idaho and northern Nevada. To do that, he had to hunt animals for food for which there was a specific hunting season. But, Claude was not the one to abide by rules and poached animals whenever he wanted, regardless of the hunting season.
Complaint Filed Against Claude
In preparation for the 1980 winter, Claude set a trapping camp in Bull Basin in Southern Idaho. However, that area was under the lease of Carlin’s 45 Ranch as a wintering ground for their cattle. On 25 December 1980, Eddy Carlin stopped by Claude’s camp and found two illegal bobcat hides and a poached deer.
Claude refused to listen to reason when Eddy confronted him, forcing Eddy to threaten him. He declared to Claude that the Idaho Fish and Game Department would now come and investigate the area. Claude brazenly responded:
“I’ll be ready for them.”
He further advised Eddy that he always handled his business with a gun. It made him feel uneasy, and he contacted Wildlife Officer Bill Pogue of the Idaho…
