Fake Prize Hunt in Blaine County Forests Ends With Arrests, Gunfire, and a Serial Killer

BLAINE COUNTY, SAN ANDREAS — Rangers with the San Andreas Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) say what should have been a quiet weekend in the state forests turned into a bizarre spectacle of unlawful hunting, online deception, and a brush with a violent fugitive.

The incident began late Friday when a message appeared on Twotter from an account impersonating a government wildlife official. The post claimed a “special conservation bounty” was being offered by the state, with a five-figure prize for the largest animal harvested in the wilderness around Raton Canyon. The fake announcement spread quickly across hunting groups and private chats, sending dozens of hopefuls into the woods overnight.

The trouble started with a single post on Twotter late Friday evening. Written in all-caps, riddled with typos, and posted by an account with the handle

@GovWildLifeOfficial420, the message claimed the state was offering “50,000$ DOLLARS CASH REWARD TO ANY HUNTER WHO BRINGS BIGGEST ANIMAL TO RATON CANYON PARK OFFICE. VALID ONLY SATURDAY. BRING PROOF OR IT DON’T COUNT.”

And then another message was posted later on in the day

The person behind the account was someone named Micheal.

The tweet even included a pixelated clip-art image of a doe being shot as well.

Despite the obvious red flags, the post spread rapidly through hunting circles and Blaine County group chats. Within hours, people were hauling gear into the forest, convinced they were chasing a once-in-a-lifetime prize.

A Surge of Armed ‘Contestants’

By dawn on Saturday, Raton Canyon’s trails and logging roads were clogged with trucks, ATVs, and men in camouflage vests hauling coolers of cheap beer. Park rangers reported seeing entire families set up camp along the trailheads, preparing for what they thought was an official state event.

Instead of licenses or tags, hunters carried screenshots of the fake tweet as proof of eligibility. Some openly bragged about the size of the reward, with one man overheard saying, “I’m gonna shoot a doe and them bears, buy a boat, and name it ‘Government Money.’”

The “contest” quickly devolved into indiscriminate shooting. Deer, coyotes, and wild boar were targeted. Several ranchers reported their livestock went missing after being mistaken for “large game.” One doe was even left dead tied to a tree with a hand-written sign taped to its side reading, “FIRST PLACE?”

Rangers documented the aftermath as “a mixture of ignorance, greed, and complete disregard for conservation.”

“We spent the morning pulling bullet casings out of the dirt and telling people bears don’t live here,” said one exasperated DCNR officer. “Half of them didn’t even believe us.”

With dozens of inexperienced shooters combing the woods, it was only a matter of time before accidents occurred. Three hunters were treated for gunshot wounds after being mistaken for wildlife. Another fell from a rocky ledge while chasing what turned out to be a raccoon. Emergency responders described the day’s calls as “a constant stream of bad decisions that required professional intervention.”

Medics on scene said most injuries could be attributed to “people running with loaded rifles in flip-flops.”

More than a dozen individuals were detained, facing charges ranging from poaching to trespassing. Others were cited and released after being caught with loaded weapons in restricted areas.

The Serial Killer in the Woods

As if the situation wasn’t already unusual enough, officials later confirmed that a wanted fugitive suspected in multiple murders was spotted moving through the canyon during the height of the hunt.

Sheriff’s deputies stated the fugitive appeared to use the distraction to his advantage, slipping past groups of armed hunters, the sounds of gunfire from hunters and possibly blending in with the crowd. At least one man told deputies he nearly opened fire on “a strange guy in the trees,” only to hesitate when the target didn’t resemble an animal.

The fugitive remains at large.

Local residents say the incident disrupted what is usually one of the most peaceful stretches of the Blaine County park system. Campers reported gunfire echoing through the canyon for hours, and hikers abandoned trails out of safety concerns.

One local summed up the mood:

“I can’t even take my kids camping without worrying some guy’s going to mistake us for a prize-winning elk.”

The Bigger Picture

The hoax has renewed concerns about misinformation on Twotter and its real-world consequences. Officials noted how quickly the post spread, how many people acted on it, and how much damage was caused in less than 24 hours.

The DCNR has called the incident “the single most reckless misuse of social media in the department’s memory” and promised to increase public outreach to prevent similar situations.

The department also says patrols in Raton Canyon will be increased for the foreseeable future, both to deter further hunting violations and to continue the search for the fugitive.

In the end, the weekend left behind poached wildlife, injured hunters, angry ranchers, and one still-missing serial killer. And it all started with a fake tweet from an account with fewer than twenty followers.

As one ranger dryly put it while hauling confiscated rifles into a pickup truck:

“All of this because someone believed the government pays cash prizes for shooting random animals. You can’t make it up.”

Weazel News: Delivering the news, whether it’s shot, stuffed, or still running loose in the woods.