Popular hunting YouTuber Ryan Lampers faces felony charges over alleged illegal kills

Ryan Lampers is a renowned hunting YouTuber from Montana. He has gotten into serious legal trouble lately as he was charged with numerous hunting violations in Idaho. Lampers, 51, of Stevensville, runs the YouTube channels "STHealthy" and "STHealthyHunter" and owns the supplement company STHealthyNutrition. He has been accused of unlawfully killing a mule deer, a mountain lion, and a wolf in 2024.

Court documents say he broke the rules by shooting those animals in restricted areas and outside the opened hunting season, using the wrong tags. The incident drew online attention because Lampers built a following on social media and among hunters.Authorities also claim Lampers falsified official paperwork related to the mountain lion and wolf kills. Idaho Fish and Game officials said he provided incorrect information about the locations of the animals, which allowed him to receive more reimbursement than he was legally eligible for.

The alleged violations include both felonies, such as grand theft and unlawful killing of wildlife, and misdemeanors, including unlawful taking of game animals, missing tags, and falsifying records.

Lampers was arrested in September 2025 and released on bond. His case has now been bound over to district court, and future hearings have yet to be scheduled.

Court documents detail alleged illegal hunting by Ryan Lampers

According to Idaho Fish and Game and court records, Lampers reportedly shot a mule deer buck on December 1, 2024, in Cove Creek Drainage, a Big Game Management Unit where the deer season was closed.

The buck was also a trophy animal, scoring over the minimum 155 inches required for such classification. A few days later, Lampers allegedly killed a mountain lion in a restricted area and shot a wolf in the Owl Creek drainage.

Hunters are required to present hides and skulls to Fish and Game within 10 days, but Lampers reportedly submitted false information to maximize reimbursement for the wolf, receiving more than he was legally entitled to.

If convicted, Lampers faces up to 27 and a half years in prison, and a lifetime ban from hunting, fishing, and trapping. But as authorities were quick to point out, charges are allegations, and Lampers is considered innocent until proven otherwise. The case has been big news because of the man's exposure on YouTube, and a conclusion to it will likely set some kind of precedent regarding hunting laws and social media influencers in outdoor sports.Also Read: Kai Cenat streaming retirement rumors go viral after YourRAGE’s comment