Tag: deer hunting

Brain cancer patient tries deer hunting, harvests 8-point buck

A Georgia woman who was diagnosed with brain cancer last May tried deer hunting for the first time recently and bagged an 8-point buck.

A Georgia woman who was diagnosed with brain cancer last May went deer hunting for the first time recently and bagged an 8-point buck.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday congratulated Zoe Ragon for her impressive “first harvest” and shared Ragon’s description of how the hunt came about:

“I was diagnosed with brain cancer in May of this year, it’s taken a lot from me and I don’t always have a ton of energy. My boyfriend is an avid hunter and wanted me to go with him to see if it would be something I’d like.

“I went hunting for the first time after growing up in a non-hunter household, it was the day after getting my hunting license, and first day shooting a rifle.

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“I took a shot at a doe that morning and missed. We left and came back that afternoon and I shot my first deer! To our surprise he was a 240-pound, 8-point buck! Talk about beginners luck!”

The Georgia DNR concluded its post by welcoming Ragon to the family of hunters “and wishing her health and happiness in her journey ahead.”

–Deer image atop this post is generic

Domestic violence call leads to multiple deer-poaching charges

A Michigan man previously convicted of illegally killing white-tailed deer faces 15 new charges after the discovery of nine poached bucks in a Decatur barn.

A Michigan man previously convicted of illegally killing white-tailed deer faces 15 new charges after the discovery of nine poached bucks in a Decatur barn.

Police responding to a domestic violence complaint on Oct. 17 spotted the deer and tipped off the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR determined that the deer belonged to Justin Ernst, 33, a convicted felon who is suspected of killing the deer while scouting from his truck and illegally shooting the bucks with the aid of a spotlight.

DNR Conservation Officers Matt Page and Tyler Cole seized eight trophy bucks on Oct. 17. Two days later, a day after Ernst was arrested following the domestic violence complaint, Page discovered another freshly dead buck in the barn.

The homeowner allowed Page and Cole to conduct searches on both dates.

Antlers seized as evidence. Photo: Michigan DNR

On Oct. 20, Conservation Officers executed a search warrant and discovered two shotguns and a crossbow, and a bloody crossbow bolt from the bed of Ernst’s truck. Officers also found a handheld spotlight under the driver’s seat.

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Ernst, who was arranged Nov. 9 in 7th District Court in Paw Paw, could be ordered to pay $59,500 in restitution. His next court appearance is Dec. 20.

In 2018, Ernst was convicted of illegally harvesting and possessing white-tailed deer. His felony record includes possession of methamphetamine, fleeing a police officer, and a third strike for driving under the influence of alcohol.

White-tailed deer. Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service

Lt. Gerald Thayer of the Michigan DNR Law Enforcement Division stated in a Thursday news release:

“It’s a shame that this criminal ruined the chance for ethical, legal hunters to have their opportunity to take one of these trophy deer. Not only did this felon steal from the natural resource, he also damaged agriculture crops, and has been doing so for some time.”

Among the charges against Ernst are two counts of firearm possession by a felon; two felony firearms violations; hunting with a revoked license, and nine counts of illegal deer harvest.

The nine bucks included five with 10 antler points, a nine-pointer, and three eight-pointers.

Deer decoys help nab poachers as Oregon’s hunting season begins

Oregon’s general buck deer-hunting season opened Saturday, and for law enforcement personnel that meant it  was also open season on prospective poachers.

Oregon’s general buck deer-hunting season opened Saturday, and for law enforcement personnel that represented open season on prospective poachers.

Oregon State Police announced Wednesday that Fish & Wildlife Troopers deployed Wildlife Enforcement Decoys in rural Washington and Yamhill Counties over the weekend.

The deer decoys were placed within sight of roads at night, when hunting is illegal, and Troopers waited for the inevitable.

“On four occasions hunters stopped their vehicle in the public roadway and discharged firearms at the decoys,” OSP stated on Facebook. “The subjects were approximately 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 2 hours, and 3 hours outside of legal hunting hours.”

The state takes illegal hunting seriously, stating that “poaching is not only theft from the hunting community, but from Oregon.”

The subjects were cited for unlawful take of buck deer and their firearms were seized as evidence. They also face charges of hunting in prohibited areas – shooting deer from roads is illegal – and with the aid of artificial light. 

The crimes are Class A misdemeanors, just below felony offenses. Punishments can include a three-year hunting-license suspension, forfeiture of evidence, court-mandated fines, loss of accrued preference points, restitution, and probation.

Additionally, under the Wildlife Violator Compact, hunters with suspended licenses cannot purchase licenses or tags in the 48 states that participate in the Compact.

“The Oregon State Police wants to educate hunters on the importance of lawful, ethical hunting,” OSP stated. “Rules developed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to allow for fair-chase hunting ensure a stable population of wildlife not only for future generations of hunters but for all people in the state to enjoy as well.”

–Deer decoy image courtesy of Oregon State Police

Hunters face charges after illegal killing of albino deer

Three Maryland hunters have been charged with the illegal hunting of deer, including an albino deer that was shot from the rear seat of a vehicle.

Three Maryland hunters have been charged with the illegal hunting of deer, including an albino deer that was shot from the rear seat of a vehicle.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, after concluding its investigation, identified the suspects as Jeremy Hoalcraft, 18, of Oakland; David Georg, 29, of Swanton, and Jordan Dawson, 22, of Deer Park.

The men are charged with killing multiple deer in Garrett County in November and early December. But at the center of the investigation was the shooting of an antlerless albino deer from a vehicle in a private field and leaving the carcass to waste.

In a news release issued Thursday, the MDNR stated that the suspects admitted to police that they were searching for deer near Blakeslee when they spotted the albino deer.

“Hoalcraft then used a rifle to shoot the albino deer from the rear seat of the vehicle,” the MDNR stated. “The albino deer reportedly ran a few feet before it fell and died.”

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Hoalcraft then passed the rifle to Dawson, who fired at other deer. The men drove away, leaving the deer to waste.

It turned out that Dawson’s hunting privileges had already been revoked because of a previous conviction; he was banned from possessing guns and ammunition.

The MDNR described the charges in the news release:

  • Dawson was charged with hunting antlerless deer during closed season, hunting from a vehicle, loaded weapon in a vehicle, hunting without written permission, driving without a license, driving while suspended, driving while revoked, possession of a rifle after conviction of a disqualifying crime, and illegal possession of ammunition. He faces up to $10,500 in fines and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
  • Hoalcraft was charged with hunting antlerless deer during closed season, hunting from a vehicle, possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle, hunting without written permission, and removal of deer parts prior to reporting the harvest to the Department. He faces up to $7,500 in fines.
  • Georg was charged with aid-and-abet hunting deer during closed season, aid-and-abet hunting from vehicle, and hunting without written permission. He faces up to $4,500 in fines.

–Albino deer image is generic, courtesy of Grayson Smith/USFWS; second image shows Maryland DLNR police

Rare white deer spotted in Wisconsin; can it be hunted?

A rare white deer was photographed in Wisconsin days before Saturday’s start of the gun deer-hunting season, which caused some to become concerned.

A rare white deer was photographed in northern Wisconsin just days before Saturday’s start of hunting season, which caused some to become concerned about the animal’s welfare.

Tracy Weese captured the image and it was shared to Facebook last Tuesday by the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office.

“An incredible sight to see here in Vilas County, a beautiful albino buck!” the agency wrote. “This majestic creature was spotted in the greater Boulder Junction area.”

One of the top comments reads, “It is truly magnificent to see. I would hope any hunter seeing this would NOT shoot it. It is so much more beautiful alive than on your wall.”

https://www.facebook.com/VilasCountySO/posts/2721769924741678

The gun hunting season for whitetail deer opened Saturday and runs through Nov. 29. Several comments on the Sheriff’s Office post were in reference to hunting and whether this buck is fair game.

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While Wisconsin does not allow the harvesting of true albino or leucistic deer (all white but without pink eyes), a few comments pertained to brown markings on a hind leg and the head of the buck in the photo.

Despite those markings, the deer in the photo is protected, Sarah Hoye, a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, told FTW Outdoors.

Hoye provided the state regulation: “Albino and white deer which have a coat of all white hair except that the hair on the tarsal glands, head or parts of the head may be a color other than white [are protected]. “White hair that has been discolored or stained by blood, soil or similar materials shall continue to be considered white hair.”

Tarsal glands are located on the inside of a deer’s hind legs and the coloration on the deer in the photo is likely caused by staining from those glands. The faint brown markings on the buck’s head might have been dirt or dried blood from the deer rubbing velvet off its antlers.

In any case, the deer is off-limits, but that does not necessarily mean it is safe.

Last year in Wisconsin, a hunter shot and killed an albino deer and subsequently turned himself in, claiming that he had fired after seeing only the brown of the deer’s head, before realizing the rest of the animal was white.

The hunting website, Wide Open Spaces, found fault with the hunter’s reasoning and added: “The remains of this deer were sent to a local taxidermist to be put on display to help other local hunters understand the difference between and albino and typical whitetail deer.”

–Image courtesy of Tracy Weese

Poacher of trophy deer faces felony, big fine by less than an inch

A man in Utah was charged with a felony for illegally killing a deer, whose antler spread measurement made a huge difference in restitution.

A 29-year-old man was charged with a felony after he was discovered having illegally killed a mule deer whose antler spread was a half-inch longer than the minimum length used for restitution for a Utah trophy deer.

In the Fifth District Court in Salt Lake City, Ethan Lebaron was charged with wanton destruction of protected wildlife by using spotlights at night to kill the deer, in this case a third-degree felony. He was also charged with a tagging requirement violation, a class B misdemeanor, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced. Charges are still being considered for the two men who were with Lebaron.

A preliminary hearing for Lebaron is scheduled for March 24. His initial court appearance was Feb 4.

A buck whose antler spread measures 24 inches or more makes it a trophy and illegally killing one a felony-level offense. It calls for a minimum restitution of $8,000. Lebaron’s deer measured 24.5 inches. Had it been under 24 inches, it would have been a Class A misdemeanor and the restitution would have been a minimum of $400.

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“Because Utahans value wildlife so highly, convicted poachers face steep consequences,” the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources states on its website. “In addition to paying fines and restitution, poachers may also face jail time, the confiscation of hunting equipment and the loss of hunting and fishing privileges in multiple states.”

Lebaron was discovered by conservation officers using archery equipment and a spotlight to shoot and kill a buck deer near Quichapa Canyon in Iron County at around 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 20.

A witness had called the UTIP hotline to report seeing spotlights in the dark because it was archery deer hunting season and the witness worried illegal hunting was occurring. Hunting deer at night is illegal, as is wasting game.

Two conservation officers arrived on scene and found three men and the dead deer. Because the animal had not been field dressed, the meat had spoiled and was unable to be donated.

Photo courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

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Hunter sprays deer repellent in brother’s hunting spot, is cited

An unusual dispute came to light when an officer got a complaint about hunter harassment only to find it was one brother reporting another.

A family feud between two hunters in Michigan culminated in a man admitting to a conservation officer that he sprayed deer repellent on his brother’s hunting stands.

The unusual dispute came to light when Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Mike Wells received a complaint about hunter harassment in Newaygo County only to discover it was one brother reporting the other, according to MLive.com.

The complainant has two hunting stands that sit on U.S. Forest Service property, which is located next to a private camp that was willed to both brothers by their father. The other brother hunts from a blind on the private property.

The complainant told Wells he was “extremely frustrated” by his brother’s continued harassment while on the private property. He proceeded to give Wells two SD Cards from trail cameras that showed a subject wearing a yellow backpack sprayer spraying the two hunting stands on Forest Service land.

Wells accompanied the complainant to the stands and collected evidence samples of the unknown liquid.

Then, on the morning of the firearm season, Wells approached the suspected brother as he hunted from the blind on private property and discovered he was illegally hunting over bait.

Wells confronted the suspect and showed him a photo from the trail camera, at which point he confessed to spraying both stands because his brother was intentionally cutting off the deer by hunting the public land next to the private camp.

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He also admitted that the spray was “liquid fence,” designed to deter deer from entering the area and that he did it to scare deer away. He apologized and told Wells his emotions got the best of him.

Wells submitted a warrant request for hunter harassment and baiting deer when prohibited.

According to Michigan law, unlawful baiting deer is a misdemeanor offense that carries a penalty of a maximum of 90 days in jail, a fine between $50 and $500, court costs and state fees, and loss of hunting privileges at the court’s discretion.

Hunter harassment is also a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 93 days and/or a fine of between $500 and $1,000 plus court costs.

“I suppose this means the gift exchange is cancelled for them this Christmas,” one commenter on MLive.com quipped.

Photo of a deer courtesy of USFWS. Photo of a typical deer stand in Michigan courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

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A painful opening weekend for Wisconsin deer hunters

Deer hunters look forward to opening day, but not everyone is suitably prepared when that day arrives, and some are downright unfortunate.

Deer hunters always look forward to opening day, but not everyone is suitably prepared when that day arrives, and some are downright unfortunate.

Wisconsin is a case in point, having inauspiciously marked the beginning of its firearm-hunting season on Saturday.

According to a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources news release, a 38-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman accidentally shot themselves in the foot in separate instances; and a 19-year-old woman was shot in the hand by another hunter who was aiming at a running deer.

The injuries were not life-threatening.

On Sunday, a 31-year-old man was shot in a case that remains under investigation because the shooter has not been identified.

The DNR’s Bureau of Law Enforcement is hoping to interview hunters who were in certain Washburn County/Minong Township locations on Sunday.

The DNR stated: “Anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, may confidentially relay their information by text, phone call or online to the WDNR Violation Tip Line:  1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367.”

Wisconsin is not the only state to have its opening weekend marred by accidental shootings.

Last week in Michigan, a man accidentally shot his brother after mistaking him for a deer. The brother was flown to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition.

Also during opening weekend, two young boys were injured when a weapon discharged as their father was preparing for his hunt.

–White-tailed deer images are via Wikimedia Commons