Update Jan. 24, 4 p.m. – WGAL is reporting that a 17-year-old and a 20-year-old came forward to the Pennsylvania Game Commission and confessed to chasing and running over a fox while riding snowmobiles. According to WGAL, both individuals face four criminal charges each. Their names have not been released. Michael Bachleda of Bachleda Studio, who organized the reward pool, said he spoke with game wardens who told him that the two riders said the fox ran away. Bachleda is now reaching out to those who pledged to the reward pool letting them know that although no tip led to the individuals turning themselves in, donations to organizations like Raven Ridge, Red Creek Wildlife Center, and the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife can be made directly if they so desire.
Update Jan. 24, 1:30 p.m. – Following a pledge by an anonymous individual, the total reward fund is now up to $9,370. Reward pool organizer Michael Bachleda of Bachleda Studio emphasized to LebTown that the total reward is for arrest and conviction. “Not just arrest,” said Bachleda. “Seems to be important to many donors since basic arrest could be undone and reward money wasted.” Those interested in pledging to the fund can contact him at mike@bachledastudio.com or 717-507-7456.
Update Jan. 24, 12:30 p.m. – Reward pool organizer Michael Bachleda of Bachleda Studio tells us that the total reward fund is now over $4,000, following a matching contribution up to $2,000 offered by the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials said today that wardens continue to investigate the incident and develop information.
Update Jan. 24, 6 a.m. – WGAL reports that the Pennsylvania Game Commission is chasing down dozens of tips. “Right now, we’re just running down all of those leads, collecting those people’s information, doing interviews to try and figure out who exactly it was and weed out the individuals who weren’t involved,” Game Warden Zach Salsgiver told WGAL. As of this morning, the reward pool organized by Bachleda Studio is now up to $2,025.
Update Jan. 23, 7 p.m. – The reward pool is now up to $1,425 $1,775.
Update Jan. 23, 4 p.m. – Local residents have pooled funds together to offer a reward to the “first person who provides info that leads to the arrest of these horrible riders.” The reward amount pledged is now up to $600 $700 $800 $900.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking for the public’s help in identifying two snowmobile operators game wardens say chased a fox through a field in Heidelberg Township for more than 30 minutes on Monday, running over the fox multiple times during what officials describe as a “horrific incident.”
The Game Commission’s southeast region office said that it is seeking to identify the two individuals for their alleged illegal harassment of wildlife and attempted unlawful taking of a red fox in a field near the intersection of state Route 501 and Locust Street in Heidelberg Township on Jan. 20.
The fox was not found in the field, according to a WGAL report citing a game warden, so authorities are unsure of the creature’s fate.
Officials said in a news release that they are seeking help in identifying two individuals, one who was operating a black snowmobile with yellow skis while dressed in black pants with a black and gray jacket and a silver metallic helmet and another who was operating a black and white snowmobile while wearing fluorescent orange pants, a black jacket, and black helmet. Game Commission officials said they believe the individuals are local residents.
A $350 bounty has been offered by local citizens to reward anyone who helps locate the riders. In a statement Wednesday evening, Bachleda Studio said that it is contributing $250 reward to the “first person who provides info that leads to the arrest of these horrible riders.” That amount was later increased to $350 when another Lebanon County resident reached out to Michael Bachleda at Bachelda Studio to offer their $100 pledge to the cause. Bachleda said “the person hopes this helps encourage others to support the effort too.”
Anyone with information on the identity of either of the two snowmobile operators is asked to contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission hotlines at 1-833-PGC-HUNT (Southeast Region) or 1-888-PGC-8001 (Operation Game Thief Hotline). Tips can also be submitted online via this reporting form.
Editor’s note: This article was updated after publication with information on the reward being offered by Bachleda Studio, and also updated to include the increase to the bounty.
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