- Donovan John Yates, 66, faces charges accusing him of illegally hunting bobcats in Utah.
- Yates hunted bobcats despite having a revoked license, charging documents say.
- Yates has a history of poaching convictions.
NEPHI — A central Utah man with a history of poaching-related convictions has been charged with doing it again.
Donovan John Yates, 66, of Mona, Juab County, was charged in 4th District Court on Wednesday with four counts of wanton destruction of protected wildlife, a third-degree felony, as well as 10 counts of violating a suspended hunting license, a class B misdemeanor, and a few other wildlife-related violations.
The charges stem from an investigation that began when Utah Department of Natural Resources officers said Yates had "presented 12 bobcats for sale," while indicating most had been hunted between Dec. 20, 2025, and Jan. 18 of this year, according to charging documents.
Conservation officers allege that the bobcats were taken while his license has been revoked, and that his daughter obtained the license for him to use.
Utah allows bobcat hunting with a valid license, but there's also a minimum restitution fee of $525 per animal illegally killed, according to state law. The state adjusted its poaching laws in 2024 to include an aggregate point value that can elevate cases to a felony level, especially when multiple animals are taken.
Convictions can result in fines, restitution fees and even jail time, as well as the suspension or revocation of hunting privileges in Utah and 48 other members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
Yates, a trapper, was fined $1,000, sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay restitution after being convicted of unlawful methods of trapping and unlawful possession of bobcats in 1991, the Deseret News reported at the time. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials said Yates set illegal traps in southwestern Millard County.
He was also ordered to forfeit trapping equipment and was restricted from applying for trapping, hunting or fishing licenses at the time. Utah court records show that he pleaded guilty to aiding or assisting in the violation of a wildlife code, a class C misdemeanor, in 2005, in relation to a separate case.
Meanwhile, Yates was also found guilty of illegally taking more than 50 bobcats and two gray foxes in Nevada, the Nevada Appeal reported later in 2005. The outlet reported that he was ordered to pay more than $20,000 in penalties and fines at the time, and ordered to forfeit all traps and furs.
It wasn't immediately clear if Yates had retained legal representation in relation to Wednesday's charges.
