Poached Buck

[nik]

Here is a link to WCCO. The story is kind of vague, but it is interesting.

http://wcco.com/crime/minnesota.buck.poached.2.1307042.html

[BLACKJACK]

Thats sad. People do crazy stupid things when big horns are involved. It will be interesting to hear when all the facts come out.

[Steve Foss]

Here's the story.

Quote:

(WCCO)Some hunters think a deer shot near Cannon Falls could be the biggest eight-point buck in the world. However, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is now investigating it as possible case of poaching.

Message boards were lit up as soon as the picture of the deer was posted online. A man who showed up at the taxidermist took the picture and put it online for all to see.

The 32-inch beam, 27-inch spread, classic 8-point buck weighed 269 pounds. The DNR wants to know if the buck was taken illegally. It may have been shot with a rifle in bow season.

The DNR has not said anything more about the case just yet. However, Conservation Officer Pat McGowan said when someone shoots out of season it becomes a matter of safety.

"When people are using rifles or shotguns it can pose a problem not just for hunters but for general public as well," he said.

As more and more hunters post pictures online, it's turned into a tool for officers to investigate what's could be going on in the woods, fields and water in Minnesota.

The taxidermist said the buck was killed on Halloween and brought in a few days later and he thought there were arrow marks on the skin.

No matter what may have happened to the trophy buck, the DNR says bottom line poaching takes away from hunters who do it the right way and follow the rules.

"We have a lot of rules that are there for deer hunting but they are there for a purpose we need people to follow those rules," Officer McGowan said.

The Goodhue County Attorney could file charges in the case this week. Depending on the circumstances, poachers can lose their hunting licenses for a few years and pay fines.

I'll be interested to see if it actually was poached or not.

[96trigger]

Its starting to smell worse.

[sticknstring]

Ya think?

[RumRiverRat]

The other thread is gone?

[Shoot2Kill]

Good grief that is a GIANT 8. WOW.

Anyone have a pic of it on the deer? Probably not if it was poached eh?

I sure hope it wasn't.

[walterman]

VERY sad if a true monarch like that was poached! Ive searched the net for field pictures of the animal. I cant find any, I know if i shot a buck of that caliber I would fill a memory card up with pictures.

[Jmnhunter]

interesting how this will turn out; like walter stated, there should be more pics out there! could be just another spin from the media too

[RumRiverRat]

[Musky Buck]

Time will tell. I think all of our stomachs would turn if we knew how many big bucks were taken illegally in MN. We aren't seeing a 1/10 of what is poached. There is a serious poaching ring in the bemidji area or at least the over 2 dozen mature bucks found with racks cut out over the past season or two tell me it's not just random. My relatives, we have found poached bucks and funny how they are rarely small deer. I also consider shooting too early/late, baiting, etc. poaching. It's a tough word when people are just kinda bending the rules a bit. But, you can't just kinda rob a bank. Get that darn fake deer/decoy going DNR. Get that puppy legalized again so some of these chronic poachers who have shot lots of trophy deer in MN only to turn around and sell it to cabela's or whatever, run these dudes out of business, every CO should have a trophy deer decoy. How else can you effectively catch these sneaky selfish bums.

[barebackjack]

Charged.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_13771604

What an arsehole!

[OnAFly]

wow, sounds like a stand up guy. What a shame.

[Steve Foss]

Dang it! I wanted it to be legit!

[Musky Buck]

Unbelievable. Why do some look at fish and game laws as whatever, don't apply to me, big deal animals and fish. I hope he isn't the last poacher to bite the bullet this year, I'm tired of it and I live no where near Goodhue county, think of who could've possibly got that deer and the thrill of a lifetime with the largest ever measured 8 pointer and some green haired clown illegally took him. The big ? is how many deer over the years has this same guy poached, bet it wasn't his first.

[Steve Foss]

Here's the charging story.

Quote:

By Chris Niskanen

[email protected]

Updated: 11/12/2009 12:06:18 PM CST

A Goodhue County man with a criminal history has been charged with poaching a white-tailed buck believed to have the largest set of eight-point antlers ever measured.

Troy Alan Reinke, 32, of Cannon Falls was charged this morning in Goodhue County with 13 counts of illegal taking deer. If convicted, he faces $19,000 in fines, up to a year in jail and revocation of his hunting license.

Reinke allegedly shot the world-class deer with a bow and arrow on Halloween while hunting on private property. According to court records, Reinke admitted to shooting three deer in October, including the trophy 8-pointer. He allegedly shot the trophy eight-pointer after shooting another eight-pointer earlier in the month.

Pictures of the trophy buck have circulated widely on the Internet. While official record keeping organizations such as the Pope and Young Club and Boone & Crockett Cub do not officially recognize world-records for eight-point deer, Department of Natural Resources officials believe the deer possesses the largest set of eight-point antlers ever measured for a whitetail.

The DNR has confiscated the deer and antlers as evidence. The agency had them officially scored this week. The gross score was 190 5/8 inches on the Boone & Crockett scale, with a net score of 185 inches. DNR officials say the biggest eight-pointer ever shot was a Michigan deer with a score of 180.

Reinke was charged with two counts of taking deer without a license; two charges of taking deer over the legal limit; two charges for possessing an untagged big-game animal; two charges of failure to register a deer; two charges of failure to validate a deer license; one charge of gross overlimit of wild animals; and two charges of transporting an illegal big-game animal.

Reinke has previous convictions for domestic assault, theft and fishing with too many fishing lines. According to court records, he served 120 days in jail recently for his second domestic assault charge.

Here's the guy.

[Still_Huntin]

I have 2 pictures of the hunter with the deer, they are circulating around on cell phones in our area, you can't try to pull this kind of stuff off in a small town where everyone knows what you do.

Heck of a buck though!!

[DonBo]

Here's the deer.

[FISHINGURU]

YAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWN.....not that old tired pic....that one is in every thread and in the beginning of this thread.

the pics still huntin is taking about are of the hunter in his camo standing over the fresh kill...they show the bucks body and the rack while its still on the deer...i haven't seen them anywhere on the net.

[barebackjack]

wow, sounds like a stand up guy. What a shame.

http://pa.courts.state.mn.us/default.aspx

Check him out here, hope this goof gets what he has coming to him.

[Harmonica Bear]

That is just sooooooo sad.......

[Powerstroke]

Always too good to be true. I can't wait to see the rack on the Wall of Shame next year. Worse yet, this creates another black eye for sportsmen and hunters.

[Still_Huntin]

If some of us told you some of the stories this guy has created you'd fall off your chairs. His criminal record rap sheet unfolded would go from Canada to Iowa.

I hope justice is served for this awesome whitetail, it would be pathetic and a disgrace if DNR lets this guy off lightly, I think its about time his actions catch up to him!

[Steve Foss]

Worse yet, this creates another black eye for sportsmen and hunters.

Yeah, that was my thought too.

[Still_Huntin]

How about an additional kick to the nads?

When he first shot this buck he was offered $250,000 for the rack from a collector!

I read an article the DNR wants to increase fines and punishment for poachers because they are so light the poachers are still making out better. You can get thousands and thousands of dollars for big racks yet the average fine is only a couple hundred.