Pershing County commissioner and hunting guide arrested on felony charges • Nevada Current

Pershing County Commissioner Joe Crim and his hunting guide each face charges in Washoe County for illegally killing a bear last season.

A criminal complaint filed against Crim and Michael Stremler, owner of Secret Pass Outfitters, alleges the two killed a bear in the hunting-restricted area above Bowers Mansion in Washoe Valley.

“There’s a reason this area is closed to hunting,” says Kathryn Bricker of No Bear Hunt Nevada, noting that people regularly visit the area. “Hunting a bear with dogs in this area could have injured hikers and others.”

Crim also serves as chairman of the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Pershing County Advisory Board.

The incident occurred on November 10, 2023. A standard report filed by hunters with NDOW indicates that a hunter slaughtered an eight-year-old male bear weighing 575 pounds near Ophir Creek on November 10.

The report states that the hunter had a guide. A NDOW document states that Stremler was not licensed as a tour guide. According to NDOW spokeswoman Ashley Zeme, he does not currently hold a valid license.

The defendants did not respond to requests for comment. The illegal kHunting a big game is a Class E felony, the least serious crime in Nevada, punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Offenders are typically released on probation.

Bricker says hunting license holders and their guides need to know the hunting rules. She says guides who use dogs with GPS collars use topographical maps and know their location.

“We will lay out what happened and we are confident that this will show that the state has no case,” said attorney Brad Johnston, who represents Stremler.

The criminal complaint alleges that Crim and Stremler knowingly killed the bear outside the approved hunting zone “alone or together” and are criminally liable whether they directly committed the crime or conspired to do so.

Crim and Stremler were arrested on July 13, the day a Washoe County judge found probable cause, court records show. The arrests were the result of an NDOW investigation, according to Zeme.

“Last year, between guided hunts and hunts with friends, we were able to participate in the harvest of 12 black bears in Nevada. That’s the largest number ever harvested by an outfitter in Nevada in one season,” Sarena Stremler, co-owner of Secret Pass Outfitters, posted on Facebook in May. “All three winners of the Buckle Contest for Largest Bear were guided by Secret Pass Outfitters.”

Stremler is also accused of an administrative offence because he chased a bear with dogs in a cordoned-off area, which is a violation of the rules of nature.