Man pleads guilty to booby trapping popular trail, targeting mountain bikers

A 54-year-old Montana man, Richard Joseph Stratton, has pleaded guilty to placing a 'hazardous and injurious device on Federal land' after he was caught placing a wooden board filled with nails on a trail in attempt to keep bikers away.

The spiked wooden board was found on a western Montana trail in November 2019, hidden under debris with 10 nails sticking out and ready to maim. The trail, Coyote Coulee Trail, is a popular spot among hikers, bikers, and horseback riders.

While Stratton stated that his intention wasn't to hurt anyone with his trap, he did know that was a possibility.

Sentencing of Stratton will take place on March 3. Guilty of a Class A Misdemeanor, Stratton will be subject to penalties of up to a year imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, and up to a year of supervised released.

While this case of trail tampering happened in another outdoorsy state, Colorado has seen it's fair share of booby-trapping over the years. From devices planted on the ground to wiring stretched across trails, booby traps can pose a major risk to trailgoers. In one recent incident, a cyclist in Colorado Springs collided with a tripwire that was set at about three to four feet high on the trail, resulting in broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a concussion.

Trailgoers that encounter something suspicious should report it to law enforcement immediately. If removing the hazard can be done safely for the sake of other trailgoers, that should also be considered after fully documenting what was found.

Read an in-depth account of the Montana case involving Stratton on The Missoulian.