Poached - 230" WY mule deer

[Reeltime]

I love that he was dumb enough to hang himself. I really hope they make an example out of this guy. Stiff fines and a decade of no hunting license, backed up by the compact, would be a good minimum.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Looks like a whitetail to me, can't wait to buy his t-shirt, trucker hat and other merchandise,

 

[Dinkshooter]

Epic

 

[Zim]

Zim, this doesn't have anything to do with tag problems that you're talking about or the fact that it just happened to be on display at the Expo and we all know how you've been screwed out of more tags than anyone in our country!

That can be your opinion. UTDOW and their bedfellows SFW can only crap on the public so much, before it pushes some citizens over the edge. That's all I am saying. Their public property thefts and abuses certainly don't endear themselves to Joe Hunter, that is for certain.

Again, ask yourself this question: Why should citizens obey the rules and laws when their own wildlife board does not?! (See RFP)
Sincerely seeking an answer to this.

This is the direction auction tag exploitation is taking us.

 

[LopeHunter]

In the screen shot of his facebook post I see him referred to as "coach", that is a bummer.

Everybody makes mistakes, but due to the extent the suspect went to cover it up, I would suspect he intended to kill that buck.

There are pictures of the buck AFTER season closed. Alive. Now the buck is dead. Simplest explanation is a criminal act took place. The buck lived in Wyoming but was taken to a taxidermist in Utah. Perhaps the person handing the animal over was hoping the taxidermist would see no red flags when examining a punched Wyoming tag and a carcass. Crossing state lines with an illegally taken animal should take this criminal act into a higher level that has significant teeth. Certainly more resources for prosecution will be on the table. When the Feds indict, the conviction plus plea deal rate is virtually 100%. Your goose is cooked.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Sure hope WY hands down fines that are at least on par with what Montana's penalties are for taking pictures of harassing bull trout in closed waters.

 

[TheJason]

Sure hope WY hands down fines that are at least on par with what Montana's penalties are for taking pictures of harassing bull trout in closed waters.

WY typically hands down very good sentences for these kinds of actions. They are probably the best state in the Rocky Mountains and PNW in terms of hammering poachers. Pretty good bet he'll sit in jail for a time and get his privileges revoked for a number of years.

 

[shootbrownelk]

There are pictures of the buck AFTER season closed. Alive. Now the buck is dead. Simplest explanation is a criminal act took place. The buck lived in Wyoming but was taken to a taxidermist in Utah. Perhaps the person handing the animal over was hoping the taxidermist would see no red flags when examining a punched Wyoming tag and a carcass. Crossing state lines with an illegally taken animal should take this criminal act into a higher level that has significant teeth. Certainly more resources for prosecution will be on the table. When the Feds indict, the conviction plus plea deal rate is virtually 100%. Your goose is cooked.

You'd think the Taxidermist would have noticed a Whitetail tag on a Mule deer now wouldn't you? He admitted to poaching the deer. There was an article in the Star Tribune this morning. He needs his licenses revoked for a long time and some quiet time in a jail house to reflect on his poor choices. Most likely he will have destroyed his career....all over a "Book Head".

 

[shootbrownelk]

WY typically hands down very good sentences for these kinds of actions. They are probably the best state in the Rocky Mountains and PNW in terms of hammering poachers. Pretty good bet he'll sit in jail for a time and get his privileges revoked for a number of years.

Maybe so NOW, but some years ago a Wyoming public land Rancher shot and killed 10 elk and wounded many more that were on his haystacks (while not allowing hunters access) with an AK or SKS...he received a slap on the wrist from a Rancher friendly Judge. A pittance of a fine, and no jail time. I don't remember all the details, but it really pissed me off at the time.

 

[Bugle 'Em In]

The buck lived in Wyoming but was taken to a taxidermist in Utah. Perhaps the person handing the animal over was hoping the taxidermist would see no red flags when examining a punched Wyoming tag and a carcass.

Wondering if the tag he used indicates that it was for a whitetail buck only? If so, the taxidermist could've cooked the goose long ago.

 

[MT_elk]

So sad. I'm sure the penalty won't be tough enough.

 

[TheJason]

Maybe so NOW, but some years ago a Wyoming public land Rancher shot and killed 10 elk and wounded many more that were on his haystacks (while not allowing hunters access) with an AK or SKS...he received a slap on the wrist from a Rancher friendly Judge. A pittance of a fine, and no jail time. I don't remember all the details, but it really pissed me off at the time.

I'm sure there are outliers everywhere, but by and large, for the last 20 years, Wyoming has consistently been one of the best states in terms of tough sentencing for poachers.

 

[TheJason]

Wondering if the tag he used indicates that it was for a whitetail buck only? If so, the taxidermist could've cooked the goose long ago.

He might have just written the tag # down in his ledger and didn't bother consulting the regs to see what the tag was valid for.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I don't know if it has come out yet as fact, but the scuttlebutt was that the taxidermist is the one that put it on display at the Expo without the knowledge of Strong.