Tag: Deer

One of Ohio’s largest criminal schemes involving deer closes

Fourteen people were convicted on 122 counts, including felonies and misdemeanors, in a case seeing search warrants executed in two states.

Fourteen people were charged with and convicted on 122 counts, including felonies and misdemeanors, as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife closed the adjudication phase of one of the state’s largest white-tail deer commercialization cases.

The list of charges included engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities, grand theft, falsification, tampering with records, possession of untagged deer parts, hunting with an illegal implement, and complicity to wildlife sales, according to ODNR.

The case included the illegal taking of deer and selling venison, and focused on A&E Deer Processing in Gallia County.

The defendants combined to pay $70,013.14 in fines and restitution, paid more than $6,700 in court costs and forfeited all the evidence seized during the execution of search warrants.

Collectively, they received a hunting license revocation totaling 63 years.

The maximum restitution to one individual was $20,000 with another paying $13,000. Multiple individuals received extensive hunting license suspensions.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Duck hunter fined $4,000 for violating 1930s regulation

In February 2020, five search warrants were executed in Gallia County by Division of Wildlife law enforcement with an additional search warrant conducted in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Wildlife officers and investigators conducted 22 interviews in Ohio and three in Pennsylvania to verify the alleged violations.

More from ODNR:

During the execution of the search warrants, more than 1,000 items were seized, including venison and venison processing equipment, deer harvest records, deer mounts and antlers, and hunting implements. A stolen rifle, illegally possessed firearm suppressors, and a moonshine still were also discovered during the searches.

The investigation revealed the owners and operators of the deer processing business falsely game checked deer, created false deer harvest records, falsified deer tags, exceeded deer hunting limits, and stole venison from customers who brought in deer for processing. Falsified records allowed the deer processors to take and have in their possession more deer than they were lawfully allowed.

Stolen venison was stockpiled and laundered into summer sausage that was sold for profit. Over the course of two hunting seasons, investigators documented more than 2,000 pounds of venison that were either stolen from their 280 customers or taken by unlawful means such as jacklighting, taking deer out of season, and falsifying records.

Generic photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

[listicle id=1980234]

Hunters: ‘Don’t you dare put that deer head in the recycling bin!’

Minnesota’s Otter Tail County to hunters: ‘Don’t you dare put that deer head in the recycling bin!’

Deer season opens Saturday in Minnesota and at least one county is demanding that hunters act more responsibly after processing their animals.

“Don’t you dare put that deer head in the recycling bin!” Otter Tail County cautioned on Facebook. “Yes, we do see animal parts such as heads or legs EVERY hunting season, but there is no reason for anyone to put those things in the recycling.”

The county explained that it’s not fair to force its staff to separate deer parts from items that can be legally recycled, so “deal with your own deer head so they don’t have to.”

RELATED: Missouri bowhunter harvests two deer with one shot

The county published a list of items that end up in bins every hunting season. Besides heads they include deer legs, deer hides, dead geese and ducks – “Yes, we see those too” – and bloody cardboard.

The county might be alone in publishing this type of warning/request to its citizens. But we’re guessing that other communities where deer hunting is  popular would like to share it with their residents.

–White-tailed deer image courtesy of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

[listicle id=1980234]

Missouri bowhunter harvests two deer with one shot

A Missouri bowhunter hunter has been credited with the legal harvest of two antlered deer with one shot during archery season. But there’s a catch….

A Missouri bowhunter hunter has been credited with the harvest of two antlered deer with one shot.

Although Mike Lewis shot only one deer, the buck carried the skull of another buck in its antlers, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The agency explained:

“Bowhunter Mike Lewis legally harvested two antlered deer in one shot during archery season. The deer he harvested still had the skull and antlers of another deer locked in its rack!”

ALSO: In San Diego, a dead great white shark and a plea to anglers

The MDC continued: “Mike contacted Nodaway County Agent Kris Smith after recovering the deer and asked for a wildlife disposition to legally possess the extra deer skull and antlers. What a find!”

Click here to view images of Lewis with his unusual harvest.

–White-tailed deer image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

[listicle id=1970744]

Watch: Deer gores woman in driveway, but deer gets more sympathy

A woman surprised a deer that was sitting in her driveway and became a target of its antlers. End result: Viewers feel bad for the deer.

A woman in Wyoming surprised a deer that was sitting in her driveway and soon became a target of its antlers when she attempted to protect her dog by striking the deer.

Becoming defensive, the deer wound up goring Wanda Kaynor of Evanston and sending her to the hospital with seven puncture wounds and a crushed vertebra in her back, as reported by KSL.com.

Video of the encounter was captured by Ring and shared in KSL’s exclusive report posted on YouTube.

A UPS driver nearby eventually lifted Kaynor into a car, and a neighbor drove her to the hospital. She is likely to spend a couple of weeks at a rehabilitation center, her husband Daniel told KSL. Daniel was gored once during the encounter.

A wildlife official from Wyoming Fish and Game euthanized the buck, as is customary after an animal has a violent encounter with humans.

Also on FTW Outdoors: ‘Blockhead’ who posed for photo with wild horse is kicked…and cited

Despite the seriousness of the injuries, commenters on KSL’s YouTube report drew far more sympathy for the deer.

A sampling of the comments:

“We love our dogs and sometimes that’s a problem. It seemed like everything was going fine until she jumped in to save the mutt.”

“If she would have just called the dog and not attack the buck then he would have left, the animal was reacting to her aggressiveness, it was self-preservation. Sad they had to put him down.”

“Looks like it wasn’t the deer fault. It was a little dog that attacked it, the deer was just protecting itself, poor deer.”

“I hope they make a full recovery. But I got to say it was their own fault. She should not have attacked the deer and got her dog in and it would have left them alone. It was wrong of them to put the deer down for protecting its self.”

“Poor little deer, all she had to do was go into the house and call her dog to also come inside. But no, so now the little guy is dead.”

“The poor buck lost his life because he was attacked. What a senseless waste.”

“If you can find the more complete video you can see the woman startled the animal first … and then the dog ran toward it… it all began when she startled the animal and the animal had fight or flight response. The news purposely edited out the beginning. Poor animal.”

Photo courtesy of KSL.com.

[listicle id=1969738]

Watch: Mountain lion turns into playful kitty once it discovers swing

A man who built a tree swing in the woods hoping to videotape bear cubs captured adorable footage of a mountain lion instead.

A Colorado man who built a tree swing in the woods hoping to videotape bear cubs captured cute footage of a mountain lion turning into a playful kitty instead.

Thaddeus Wells recorded the video in early September near Black Hawk, about 40 miles northwest of Denver, according to The News & Observer.

The mountain lion had been feeding on a deer nearby and was sleeping under the swing when it discovered the swing by hitting it with its paw.

“When I saw this reaction to the swing I laughed and fell in love with her. Who wouldn’t?” Wells told McClatchy News. “You can see her mind at work. She seems surprised to find that it moved at all and then surprised to see it swings so far as to hover over her. She really focuses her attention on it for some time.”

“It’s edited to remove stuff like her tasting and biting the swing,” Wells said, adding that the cougar looked bigger due to a swollen jaw. He suspects the deer might have kicked it in the face.

Also on FTW Outdoors: A trail runner can’t shake a flock of sheep that runs after her (funny video) 

After four days of feasting on the deer, the mountain lion moved on, displayed by three bears.

“[They] spent the night at the spring while they devoured what remained of the deer,” Wells said.

[listicle id=1956609]

Hunter who shot at deer but hit occupant of a house gets prison

In an illegal-hunting incident, a man was struck in the foot by a bullet as he sat on the couch in his home with his wife and baby nearby.

A hunter in Ohio was sentenced to two years in prison after he shot at a deer and instead struck a man in the foot as he sat on the couch in his home with his wife and baby nearby.

In May, Kasen Smith pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises, injuring a person while hunting, and hunting without permission and in violation of hunting ordinances, as reported by WKBN.

On Dec. 20, 2021, Smith was deer hunting without a license and without permission to hunt on land near Market Street and West Calla Road in Beaver Township. Shooting at a deer, the bullet flew across West Calla Road and struck a resident in his house.

Smith admitted to investigators that he fired in the direction of houses, but he thought he was at a safe distance well inside the woods, according to the police report.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Poachers of five elk sentenced; must publish apology in local paper

Smith was sentenced Tuesday by Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas Judge John Durkin, who lessened the prison term after the county assistant prosecutor suggested he do so because of a family tragedy involving a vehicle on June 19, when Smith’s 18-month-old son died, according to The Vindicator.

From The Vindicator:

But in a brief discussion at the bench with the judge and [attorney Tom] Zena, [county assistant prosecutor Mike] Yacovone recommended a way to sentence Smith that would allow the judge to grant judicial release to Smith after one year served in prison instead of the 18 months that was anticipated earlier.

The change was to recommend a one-year sentence on discharging a firearm, in addition to the one-year gun specification, instead of three years on the discharging a firearm. That allowed Smith potentially to get out after one year…

“He’s probably already gone through the worst possible thing,” Yacovone said of Smith’s son’s death after the hearing.

Smith surrendered a Ruger American .450 Bushmaster Bolt-Action Rifle to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and paid $10,000 in restitution to the victim for his medical bills.

Troopers astonished by who showed up for firearms training

Oregon State Police Troopers were astonished recently to discover a deer “just casually eating away” during firearms training near Portland.

Oregon State Police Troopers were astonished recently to discover a deer “just casually eating away” during firearms training near Portland.

“Something in this photo just doesn’t seem to belong,” OSP mused Thursday on Facebook.

The agency shared images showing Troopers with OSP’s Portland Area Command smiling in disbelief as the deer seemed to ignore their presence and the sound of gunfire.

ALSO: Can you spot the coyotes in this lush Yellowstone meadow?

“You would think that this doe wouldn’t find rifle fire the most relaxing sound to hear while grazing for her lunch,” OSP wrote.

Watch: Deer with plastic bottle on snout tranquilized, rescued

A deer with part of its snout stuck inside a Gatorade bottle has been tranquilized and rescued by Georgia wildlife biologists.

A deer with part of its snout stuck inside a Gatorade bottle has been tranquilized and rescued by Georgia wildlife biologists.

The accompanying footage shows the doe approaching biologists on a road, and the successful darting effort. Images show the tranquilized deer, biologists at work, and the bottle after it was removed.

ALSO: Angler in Mexico lands mystery fish ‘with human teeth’

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources stated Tuesday via Facebook that the bottle, stuck to the top portion of the doe’s snout, had been cutting into the animal’s skin.

“With the assistance of a resident putting out corn for a number of days to draw the doe back into the area, staff were able to dart the deer, remove the bottle and treat the doe’s wounds,” the DNR stated.

“The deer was released on site and was last seen headed back towards her fawn.”

Elk poachers nabbed after ‘suspicious’ photo appears online

Oregon officials say a “suspicious” image posted to social media, showing a trophy bull elk carcass on a trailer, helped officers nab three poachers.

Oregon officials say a “suspicious” image posted to social media, showing a trophy bull elk carcass on a trailer, helped officers nab three poachers.

Lionardo Munoz, of Mosier, has been ordered to pay $15,000 for illegally harvesting the buck in November 2021. He also received a three-year hunting ban.

Matt Wilkinson, also of Mosier, must pay $1,000 for helping to conceal the crime. He received a five-year hunting ban.

Wilkinson’s wife, Rachel Hallett, was cited for illegally harvesting a buck deer.

Photo that helped launch the investigation. Credit: ODFW

The investigation began last Nov. 9, after a hunter had texted the image of the trophy bull elk to the Oregon State Police, Fish and Wildlife Division.

“Something was just not right about the photo of a 6×6 bull elk on a trailer,” the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stated in a news release.

ALSO: Elk calf braves Yellowstone rapids to reunite with mom; video

Said Senior Trooper Brent Ocheskey: “It was a big elk on that trailer. An elk is a big animal, not easy to pack out without gutting and quartering it. That in itself was suspicious, especially in our patrol area.”

Ocheskey and fellow Trooper Matt Newby obtained the name of Munoz as the hunter said to have shot the elk. When they arrived at the residence, the spotted Munoz and Wilkinson driving in a truck. In the truck’s bed was a 6×6 bull elk head and hide.

Munoz possessed a license for spike elk so it seemed as though his violation was simply harvesting an oversized buck. However, he told the troopers that the elk belonged to Wilkinson, who said the elk was harvested by his wife, Rachel Hallett.

Hallett went along with the lie, but only briefly. On her behalf, Wilkinson told investigators that Munoz had shot the buck in an orchard in Mosier, and that Wilkinson helped Munoz load the carcass onto the trailer.

At sentencing, Munoz and Wilkinson pleaded guilty to Unlawful Take of a Six-Point Bull. Munoz was ordered to pay the bulk of the fine.

Hallett pleaded guilty to Unlawful Take of Buck Deer. She received 12 months probation and must serve 40 hours of community service.

Said Bernadette Graham-Hudson, ODFW Wildlife Administrator: “Oregon hunters, legislators and other conservationists work hard to pass strict sentencing guidelines to address poaching cases like this one.

“Not only did the subjects steal a wildlife resource that belongs to all Oregonians, but they broke hunting safety laws while doing so. Hopefully fines like this will serve as a warning to other who would behave so irresponsibly.”

‘Rarest of rare’ animal spotted in Texas desert

The desert mule deer is a common sight in west Texas, but wildlife biologists in the area came across an extremely uncommon sight.

The desert mule deer is a common sight in the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas, but when wildlife biologists conducted surveys recently, they came across an extremely uncommon sight.

In fact, it was what they called “the rarest of rare” animals.

What the Texas Parks and Wildlife—Trans-Pecos Wildlife District spotted from a helicopter and captured in video was a melanistic (black hair) mule deer fawn, “a one-in-a-million anomaly.”

Also on FTW Outdoors: Rarely seen creature that eats porcupines captured in video

“This special deer appears all black except for quick flashes of white fur as it dashes away from the whirring helicopter,” the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said. “It stands in stark contrast to the older, larger mule deer running ahead of it, sporting the typical brown and white coloration.”

The video was posted on Facebook with credit to District 1 biologists J. Etchart and J. Weaver.


“Melanism is a rare, random genetic anomaly believed to be caused by mutations in the melanicortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R), which leads to an over production of the pigment melanin,” the TPWD stated on Facebook.

“It’s difficult for biologists to quantify the number of mule deer that have this condition, but it’s estimated to be around 1 in several million – making it even more rare than an albino (all white hair) or piebald (white spotted) mule deer. A one-in-a-million anomaly.”

Photo courtesy of TPWD.

[listicle id=1854901]