Sorry if this has already been posted -


https://www.yahoo.com/news/record-18-point-buck-poaching-175507502.html

Anybody know what the deer scored?

Hopefully jail time will be involved.

Won’t stop until caught

I’m not sure but I’d guess a lot


Edit, I found it to say it was 235 7/8”

Probably found out about the deer after it being posted on line….

Would we be demanding prison time if the deer was a spike?

With the laundry list of offenses, I say prosecute the guys. But the trophy aspect shouldn't influence the sentence.

Never really thought about it, but should the sentence be the same for robbing Fort Knox or stealing a pack of gum?

The value of the "property" (and deer are state property in the sense that restitution is required for their value) directly impacts the seriousness of the charges and sentencing. He sold the rack for part of the $20,000 that he received if I am reading it correctly. A spike is not as valuable so his charges and sentencing should reflect that trophy value.

If the stories sound too outlandish, like 50 acre plots producing a historic B&C, especially those areas not known for it, they are usually untrue. Have smaller acreages produced booners, sure but a lot less in 2000s than in 1920s-1960s. I say fine them harddddddd, place liens, judgments hard on them to deter other fraudsters.

There are other stories like this that I've read and what's always interesting is that folks think they'll get away with shooting an absolute booner buck.

With a deer that big, my first assumption would be that somebody HAS to know about this deer (granted I like to think I'm smarter than the average poacher). But I'd figure someone has to have it on game cams, seen it next to a road...you name it! Even more so when you see or know the deer frequents private property.

Makes ya think there's a lot more poaching that actually goes unnoticed because the deer taken aren't as "high scoring" and nobody thinks the wiser.

Jail time seems excessive and unlikely. Fine him heavily, take away his hunting privileges for life.

it happens out here 2-3 times a yr. not hard to road shoot/toss in bed of truck and be gone, worry about cleaning at another location.

I know of 3 times they were caught, one was a neighbor another was an idiot that rode his sxs thru fence gates he cut open and got on our property, 2 gw were waiting when he came out. seems his timing worked out with mcgee and another gw sitting watching. I happened to see them at 0300 getting my morning coffee, called and got told to sit tight and watch. the other one was an idiot that road shot one while one of the riverby/mitigation people watched. they followed him till mcgee caught up.

people are idiots sometimes.

If poachers kept their mouth shut, they could possibly get away with the dirty deed, but not many keep their mouth shut. In a couple of weeks, everyone in town has heard about it and that means the long arm of the law also. Poachers have to brag just like the guy that legitimately kills a trophy buck. Shoot and tell will put them in jail.

I love this, "deer are property of the state" thing. They are til you total a car or truck because one runs across the road in front of you, then magically they're just "wildlife".

Ah, but what is the value of a deer? Is it a flat rate on free range deer, or is their a tiered pricing structure based on the size of it's horns? Will the state use that $20k to buy another record book deer to replace this one, then turn it loose? I could see the $20k if the poacher killed it behind a high fence, because it's livestock then, but free range???

what if they broke into fort knox and stole a pack of gum?

TPWD openly states that their goal is the "age structure of the herd". What in that goal makes a free-range 6yr old 12pt worth a dollar more than a 6yr old spike?

I know the above case wasn't in Tx, and they might do things differently. But I just don't see where the state should assign added value to a free range deer based on antler size. Poaching is poaching, prosecute accordingly. If the guy sold the horns for 20k and that was illegal, maybe that single charge should carry more weight than if he sold them for $1k. As a juror, I'd have a hard time placing more weight on any other charge based solely on the size of the horns.

If an illegal had killed it they’d paid the taxidermy and processing bill, probably tossed in a few seasonings and sides to go with it. It’s a deer so fine the guy and move on,

Jail for a deer no way. 30k plus in fines sure.

the last camp I guided (this was part of why I quit) 2 of the 6 hunters were charged for an illegal elk kill, yes I turned them in.

the group were total morons, second day one almost got shot for letting off a round from a 7mm mag 50' from the cook tent, packing up to leave one of them shot another's down sleeping bag while cleaning his "unloaded" rifle, 30.06 that almost got one of my pack animals in the corral.

I put them on a herd I knew had a trophy bull at least, shots and I take pack horses to bring back a kill. oldest guy had killed a huge bull, while looking it over I asked about the other shots and was told they had killed some "camp meat".
same guy shot the bull then a cow calf for "camp meat" with 2 days left in camp after dropping a monster bull. fed. gw was a neighbor and friend and took care of it.

feds fined 2 of them 10,000.00 ea. and took the rifles used, all of them had custom built weatherbys, they lost hunting rights in colorado for life and ended up having to sell a house they based out of.

some people jus think they are entitled to do it how they want, not how it should be. these were just one group of 4 I had over the yrs. that caused big problems.

Yeah, I have met some very odd ducks in outfitted hunting camps over the years. Beaucoup psyche problems. I think I'm done.

"Beaucoup". I learn something new every day on here. Ive heard it said but never seen it spelled.

He sold it for $20,000 and I think his sentence should reflect that. If he can't pay it in money, pay it in time spent.