An Idaho man named JT Johnson recently pled guilty to shooting a trophy mule deer with a rifle during the state’s archery-only hunting season. Johnson will have to pay $2,100 in penalties and court costs. The suspension of his hunting license will last for 5 years. The confiscation of the buck’s trophy by Idaho Fish and Game was also a part of the punishment.
The investigation took place in 2022. A local archery hunter contacted the authorities after hearing a rifle shot. Shortly after that, the hunter found the remains of the poached buck. He believes it is the same deer he was after for years. “Some hunters will go a lifetime looking for a deer this size. Having other hunters help us detect these types of crimes is essential and we encourage anyone with knowledge of poaching to call us so other treasures like this deer aren’t stolen,” said Officer Will Fuller.
Deer Poaching Investigation Underway In Indiana
Law enforcement officials with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources have launched an investigation into the illegal harvest of a deer. Tristate Homepage reports that the poaching incident happened on Saturday night in Posey County at the Hovey Lake Fish & Wildlife Area. That property belongs to the state. The deer got shot nearly a full month after the end of Indiana’s deer season in January. The season resumes in mid-September and runs through the end of January 2024.
A few months back another poacher in Indiana received the strictest poaching punishment in the history of the state. The man was found guilty of repeatedly breaking several turkey hunting laws. He then became the first person to ever receive a lifetime ban on hunting in Indiana. Because of the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact, that means his ban extends to nearly every other state in America. That compact provides reciprocity for these types of violations in 48 states. According to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Hawaii and Massachusetts are in the process of finalizing recognition of the Compact.
Three People Arrested For Poaching In Indiana
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently arrested three Indianapolis residents after they were caught illegally hunting at night and from a roadway. The incident took place at the very beginning of the month. The suspects in question are Biak Sang, Hrang Lian, and Ro Hmung Lian. WTHI-TV 10 shared the story first.
The Indiana State Police used a drone with thermal imaging and a K9 officer with his dog to help find the poached deer. Meat from the deer was salvageable and donated to a local family in need. The three men are facing misdemeanor charges of illegally taking a white-tailed deer, hunting with the aid of a motor conveyance, backlighting, shooting from a public roadway, and hunting without the consent of the landowner.