Bowhunter Who Left Elk to Bear Found Not Guilty
A Wyoming jury has acquitted a Cody bowhunter of wasting a game animal after he abandoned an elk carcass that a bear had fed on.
Ron Niziolek, 63, was found not guilty on Aug. 28 of two misdemeanor charges — wasting a game animal and possessing the parts of a wasted animal — after a two-day trial in Park County Circuit Court. Six jurors cleared him unanimously.
The Kill and the Carcass
Niziolek arrowed a bull elk just before dark on Sept. 19, 2025, while bowhunting public land in Park County with Adam and Mary Miles. The bull ran about 100 yards downhill and bedded with its head still up at nightfall, so the party backed out to the nearby Switchback Ranch, which Adam manages, and returned the next morning.
They found the bull dead where they’d last seen it, but the abdominal cavity had been split open, with two piles of fresh bear scat beside the carcass. The party took photos, removed the skull, and left the area. The Mileses reportedly spotted a large grizzly roaming the area within 24 hours.
Conflicting Guidance from Game and Fish
Niziolek says he was following instructions the family had received directly from WGFD. Mary Miles testified that a warden told her in 2016 not to eat meat from an elk a bear had fed on because of disease risk, specifically trichinosis.
“If you can get in without a bear confrontation, it’s okay to go in and grab the head, but don’t risk it if there’s a chance of a confrontation,” Niziolek says the warden told her. Niziolek also cited past calls with WGFD employees and an instructional video showing hunters backing out from a bear-disturbed animal.
A tip from an out-of-state hunter who found the headless carcass on Sept. 21 prompted the investigation.
Niziolek says he could have paid the two citations but fought them on principle.
“The problem I had with this whole thing is the conflicting opinions from different Game and Fish personnel on what you’re supposed to do in this instance,” he says.
Powell-area game warden Jordan Winter, who investigated and cited Niziolek, declined to comment but confirmed he testified at trial. A WGFD spokesperson acknowledged a request for clarity on the law but did not provide it by press time.
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