Free: Contests & Raffles.
While patrolling in the Selkirk Mountains during late rifle season, Officer Erickson spotted a herd of mule deer on an open hillside that included a trophy 5X6 buck and two smaller two-points. Officer Erickson positioned himself to watch th...e deer in case a hunter could not resist the temptation. After about five minutes, Officer Erickson heard three rifle shots just up the road from his position, where he noticed a vehicle parked on the road. Officer Erickson was able to watch the trophy buck run up the hillside appearing unharmed. As the vehicle started to leave the scene, Officer Erickson made contact with the driver, who told the officer he had just shot at and missed what he thought was a large whitetail buck. The hunter then indicated he tried to shoot a smaller two-point buck, but missed it as well. He was so convinced he missed both deer that he was not even going check the area for blood. Officer Erickson cited the hunter at the scene for hunting mule deer closed season and for negligently shooting from the roadway. Later, Officer Erickson searched the hillside where the mule deer had been standing and found a blood trail. After tracking the blood trail, Officer Erickson found the 5x6 trophy buck. With a single bullet wound to the rear leg, the trophy class mule deer had bled out and died. With help from a volunteer, Officer Erickson field dressed the buck and donated the meat to a local food bank. The suspect’s rifle was seized for forfeiture, and the hunter pled guilty to all charges. In addition to his criminal fines, the subject was ordered to pay a $6,000 civil assessment penalty to WDFW for loss of this trophy mule deer.As a side note, mule deer tend to be more susceptible to hunter harvest than whitetails because they inhabit open terrain and are more hesitant to flee than whitetails. This vulnerability to harvest, combined with lower reproductive rates, results in the potential for overharvest of a mule deer herd. This is especially true during the late rifle season when mule deer are in the rut (breeding season). For these reasons, the season is closed for mule deer except by special permit.
I see idiots like this every season shooting way farther than there ability's and if the animal doesn't drop they drive on must have missed to frickin lazy to treck out and verify no blood or dead animal....
