By Amanda Manchester
Uinta County Herald
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

EVANSTON — Three men — Justin Martin and his son, Range Martin, both of Uinta County, and Kylan Platt of Malad City, Idaho — have been charged with felony counts of animal cruelty following an alleged incident with an infirm moose.

Range Martin, born 2002, and Kylan Platt, born 2003, were each charged with one felony count of cruelty to animals, which carries up to two years imprisonment and/or a fine of $5,000.  They were also charged with two misdemeanor counts of wanton taking of a big game animal (a cow moose) which carries a sentence of up to one year and/or $10,000 fine, and possessing live warm-blooded wildlife without a permit, which carries a penalty of up to six months imprisonment and/or $1,000 fine.

Justin Martin, born in 1971, has been charged with two felony counts of accessory before the fact to felony cruelty to animals, each charge carrying up to two years and/or $5,000 in fines. He has also been charged with two misdemeanor counts of accessory before or after the fact to wanton taking of a big game animal. Each count carries a sentence of up to one year and/or $10,000 in fines.

The elder Martin is listed as the owner and operator of the nearly 5,000-acre M Arrow Ranch north of Bear River.

In July of 2022, during a separate investigation, a phone was seized from Justin Martin, ac- cording to an affidavit of probable cause. 

A Sheridan wildlife investigator subsequently discovered “evidence of a potential major wildlife violation in the data outside the scope of the aforementioned search warrant dates.” Additional search warrants were issued in light of the digital discoveries.

A video, taken on or about May 4, 2021, court documents allege, initially depicts Platt standing in the bed of an off-road vehicle while “the cow moose appears to be in poor health and in distress from her neck being fully extended by the lariat that is pulled tightly around her neck,” by Platt.

Court documents describe the moose as “likely blind in her right eye and in poor health” citing a still shot of the video showing Platt “kneeling on the moose pinning her down.”

The affidavit further outlines another segment of video in which Platt is “riding and spurring a cow moose that appeared to be in poor health … with a lariat around her neck standing in tall sage brush struggling to escape.” 

Platt’s actions are described as “aggressively spurring” the animal while riding it.

The court document also states that “Justin Martin is videoing the encounter and cheering on Kylan Platt, saying, ‘All right now, spur that son of a bitch … spur on him!’” 

The video of that encounter was allegedly sent to over 20 other phone numbers in both singular and group exchanges. 

In one instance, Justin Martin allegedly texted, “Looks like he was ran down a little. That’s good s—. Not many kids can say they have rode a moose.” 

Later, on or about May 24, 2021, an alleged second video depicts Range Martin as he forcefully drags the cow moose “by her neck through the dense chest-high sage brush.” 

Range Martin attempts to forcibly move the moose despite her refusal to move, court documents state. Thus, he “continues to ride his horse … causing her to lose her stance and fall,” at which point the moose is dragged by her neck through the sagebrush toward an irrigation ditch. The document notes that the moose appears “in a heightened state of distress.”

The wording of the charge of “wanton taking of a big game animal” indicates that the moose, ultimately, did not survive.

The affidavits were written by a law enforcement officer with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Nov. 21, and criminal summonses for the men were signed by Circuit Court Judge Michael Greer on Dec. 4.

All of the men’s charges were filed by special prosecuting attorney F. Gaston Gosar of Sublette County. Range Martin and Platt are summoned to Uinta County Circuit Court on Jan. 15, 2026. Justin Martin is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 20, 2026.

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