From Wombat Harassment to Hunting Charges: An Influencer's Downfall
An American social media influencer, who gained notoriety earlier this year after a video showed her terrorising a wombat in Australia, has been arrested in the United States for allegedly violating hunting laws in Wyoming. Samantha Strable, 25, was taken into custody at Sublette County Jail on November 21.
The Alleged Residency Fraud
According to court charging documents, Strable falsely claimed to be a resident of Wyoming to acquire resident hunting tags, which are permits offered at a lower cost than those for non-residents. State law mandates that a person must live in Wyoming for a full calendar year before they can apply for residential hunting licences. This status is revoked if the individual is absent from the state for more than 180 days or abandons their home.
Court records indicate that Strable is actually a resident of Great Falls, Montana. The influencer, who also goes by the name Sam Jones online, had previously asserted she lived in Pinedale, Wyoming. However, Wyoming Game and Fish Warden Jacob Miller stated in legal documents that her status as a resident hunter was cancelled because she was absent from the state for extended periods.
The investigation began after an anonymous tip on August 11 alleged that Strable was bragging on social media to her over 90,000 followers about buying resident tags despite not living in Wyoming for more than two years.
A Trail of Evidence Across the Globe
Officials discovered that Strable began purchasing a residential hunting licence in 2022 using a Pinedale address where a man currently resides. When Warden Miller contacted this man, he confirmed Strable lived there for part of 2022 and most of 2023, but moved out to travel to Australia towards the end of last year.
Her social media posts confirmed her presence in Australia during that time. Miller's investigation further revealed that Strable was employed in Australia by Kleinfelder, a global consulting firm, as a 'Professional/Fauna Spotter Catcher/Ecologist' stationed in Newcastle from December 16, 2023, to March 19, 2024.
Cellphone data placed her in various locations inconsistent with Wyoming residency, including Australia, LAX Airport, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Miller's analysis found that Strable had spent only 29 days in Wyoming in 2024 and a mere week in 2025.
Despite this, she successfully applied for several resident hunting tags. Records show she obtained a resident elk tag in Sublette County in April 2024 and killed an elk that October. She also applied for and received a resident antelope tag in May 2024, later killing a buck. Additionally, she purchased a resident fishing licence and tags for mountain lion and black bear.
Confrontation and Consequences
Warden Miller recounted an in-person conversation with Strable on October 19 at the Newfork trailhead. When asked where she lived, she initially replied 'Wyoming. Well Montana, originally'. She later admitted to bouncing between locations, including Alaska, and called the question of her residency a 'tricky' subject.
Miller informed her that killing wildlife in Wyoming under false pretences was illegal. Strable was charged with six counts of false swearing, one count of taking wildlife without a licence, and one count of nonresident hunting without a guide in a wilderness area.
She was released on her own recognizance the same day as her arrest. The potential penalties are severe: each count of false swearing carries a sentence of up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine. Taking game without a licence could result in a year in jail and fines of $5,000 to $10,000, while hunting without a guide may lead to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.
This is not Strable's first brush with international condemnation. Earlier this year, she was publicly criticised by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after footage emerged of her harassing a baby wombat. When contacted by the Daily Mail for comment on the recent charges, Strable abruptly ended the call.
