Jacobsen charged with illegal hunting

St. John man charged after allegedly tagging two cow elk before big game hunting season started

Drew Lawson, The Record-Times | Last updated Apr 08, 2022 10:38am0

DAVENPORT – A man residing in St. John has been summoned to appear in Lincoln County Superior Court on two counts of first-degree unlawful hunting of big game after allegedly harvesting two cow elk near Hawk Creek two days before the start of modern firearm hunting season in 2021.

Colton Kenneth Jacobsen, 22, was charged by the county Prosecutor’s Office Tuesday, March 29, according to court records.

According to an investigation that led to subsequent charges by Fish and Wildlife Sergeant Tony Leonnetti, Jacobsen killed the two elk near his grandparent’s property off Whitney Road near Hawk Creek while en route to drop off firewood sold to a neighbor of his grandparents with Garrett Mellick of Davenport on Oct. 28, 2021.

Modern firearm elk hunting season ran from Oct. 30-Nov. 7 last year.

Jacobsen allegedly told Mellick he was going to kill an elk with his 9mm and proceeded to do so, killing two elk in total. Mellick later told Leonnetti that Jacobsen transported the two elk to his significant others’ father’s house in Whitman County, according to records.

Leonnetti later received a note from his father, Dirk Jacobsen, saying he knew that Colton Jacobsen had harvested the two elk prior to the opening of hunting season. Dirk Jacobsen also told Leonnetti his son apparently hadn’t learned from a previous hunting violation in Stevens County, according to records.

Colton’s brother, Luke Jacobsen, said the two had exchanged Snapchat messages talking about the killings, according to investigation records.

The sergeant’s investigation, which concluded Dec. 6, 2021, found that Jacobsen didn’t have a valid hunting tag when he shot the two cows, according to records.

Jacobsen was summoned to appear in court on his charges Tuesday, April 19.