Trapper pleads not guilty in illegal snare case

Mark David Mitchell, charged with attempting to trap wolves during a closed season, was not present at his arraignment Thursday, but his attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

A trial for Mitchell is scheduled for Aug. 21, with a status hearing set for 2:30 p.m. Aug. 13, Judge Kirsten L. Swanson said in court Thursday. Mitchell’s lawyer, Robin L. Schmid, was present over the phone for the hearing.

Mitchell, 39, was charged earlier this month with the class A misdemeanor after Alaska Department of Fish and Game personnel had to euthanize a black bear cub that got caught in one of Mitchell’s snares. The snares, which Alaska Wildlife Troopers said were left out near Ready Bouillon Creek on Douglas Island to catch wolves, should have been removed after wolf-hunting season ended April 30.

Hikers found the bear in the snare on May 29, Alaska State Troopers say, and there were two other snares of his in the area as well.

[Wolf snare mortally wounds bear cub]

Alaska Wildlife Trooper Jake Abbott, the case officer, was in court Thursday to explain to Swanson that this is not Mitchell’s first violation. Mitchell’s hunting privileges were already revoked at the time of this most recent offense, Abbott has said, due to a violation in 2016 when Mitchell and a couple others took an over-limit of moose during a trip to the Chilkat Peninsula.

At the moment, the Juneau District Attorney’s Office is listed as the prosecutor on electronic court records. Abbott said Troopers are weighing their options between having the DA’s Office prosecute the case and having the Alaska Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecution Fish and Wildlife prosecutors take the case.

“They generally only take bigger cases,” Abbott said of OSP’s prosecutors, “but we also want to ensure that we get the appropriate outcome in this case.”


• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.


More in News

The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Ships in port for the week of April 20

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2024 schedule.… Continue reading

Participants of the 2024 Sustainable Southeast Partnership annual retreat in Sheet’ká (Sitka). This week more than 150 people are gathering for the 12th annual retreat to strengthen relationships, accelerate ideas and energize work already happening across the region. (Photo by Bethany Goodrich)
Woven Peoples and Place: Celebrating values in action

Mentorship and storytelling with Shaelene Grace Moler.

Rep. Andi Story (D-Juneau), co-chair of the House Education Committee, speaks in favor of overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of an education funding bill during a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Tuesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Legislature fails to override Dunleavy’s veto of $1,000 increase in per-student education spending

Lawmakers supporting veto note state’s financial shortfall, suggest smaller BSA increase or new revenue.

Sarah Palin arriving at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Andres Kudacki / For The New York Times)
Jury rules against Palin in libel case against the New York Times

After two hours of deliberation, claim rejected she was defamed in newspaper’s 2017 editorial.

The Norwegian Bliss cruise ship docks in downtown Juneau on Monday, April 21, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Ballot petition to restrict daily and annual cruise passengers in Juneau certified for signatures

Opponent of measure argues it violates due process, free travel and other constitutional rights.

Workers process pollock. (Photo provided by Thompson and Co. PR on behalf of the Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance)
Murkowski and other US lawmakers seek guest worker visa exception for seafood industry

Legislation would exempt seafood companies from a cap on the number of H-2B visa workers.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Sunday, April 20, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Will Muldoon’s official campaign profile photo as a Juneau Board of Education candidate in the 2024 municipal election. Muldoon resigned from the board on Monday. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)
Former write-in candidate Will Muldoon resigns from Juneau Board of Education

Muldoon, first write-in to win local election in 29 years in 2021, won easily reelection last fall.

Dancers exit the main conference room at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall as part of the opening ceremonies for the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s 90th Tribal Assembly on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Tlingit and Haida votes to give smaller Southeast communities more representation at tribal assembly

Change during constitutional convention significantly shrinks delegations in Anchorage and Seattle.

Most Read