Poached deer??

[HoofsandWings]

I was over on the peninsula today and came across what appeared to be a poached deer. The deer was gutted, skinned and headless. Looks like it was killed in the last couple of days. Apparently the poacher took the head and hide, and may have intended to come back for the rest, but did not.
Called it in.

[dreamunelk]

Good job calling in.  What peninsula or GMU?

[CplRaines]

Not necassarily poached. Muzzleloader is open right now.

How far in are you? Maybe a lone hunter making a pack out?

[wreckerman5357]

Sounds like either a poached deer or one that was wasted by a hunter that tagged the rest of the animal. Most likely poached given the wasted meat.

[HoofsandWings]

Not necassarily poached. Muzzleloader is open right now.

How far in are you? Maybe a lone hunter making a pack out?

About 250 yards from Highway 104 (Hood Canal to 101).  I was walking the dog at the time.

[CplRaines]

Not necassarily poached. Muzzleloader is open right now.

How far in are you? Maybe a lone hunter making a pack out?

About 250 yards from Highway 104 (Hood Canal to 101).  I was walking the dog at the time.

Did you talk to Phil Henry yet?

Which area? Sandy shore? Shine pit? Power lines? Ludlow or horsehoe lake?

That s*&t pisses me off. Especially in "my" area.

[predator guy]

It was gutted, skinned, and the head cut off? It's as good as being poached! That's B.S. leaving the meat to rot! 

[throttlejocky20]

 

[Biggerhammer]

I know of a guy local that shoots large mule deer every year, the reason being. He hikes way back in and only brings the skoal, antlers and minimal prime meats cuts out. It burns my A$$. It is odd that it was field dressed and skinned. Most bucks I have come across that were poached for their size, were either missing just the antlers or the complete head and had been capped. There was no reason to field dress or completely skin, they took what they were there for . It's also odd that the complete hide was gone, I have packed many a deer out and other than the cape(If large enough for mounting)the rest of the hide is coyote/ magpie bait.

[highcountry]

I found a dead 3 point in velvet about a month ago, back behind sandy shore. Turkey vultures where on it and it tipped me off, it had been dead a few days couldnt tell what happened.

[blindpig]

Why would a poacher go to the lengths of gutting it, skinning it and leaving it?  Wouldn't a poacher just take the head? 

[Elkrunner]

Sounds to me that he may have been coming back for it.

[JimmyHoffa]

But if he was coming back for the meat, shouldn't the tag have been on it?  The tag is supposed to be on the largest portion of meat.  Maybe he found worms or the meat was funky.

[Elkrunner]

You would think the tag would have been with it...

[sirmissalot]

Good on you for calling it in. Hopefully he was coming back to get the rest though, either way its still worth a call to the local gamey.

[Huntboy]

Good job on calling it in.

[merlo105]

There is so much poaching going on in that area its unreal. Could have been indians too... Was seeing alot of them around coyle

[JimmyHoffa]

Yeah, agree that the poaching there is abundant.  But usually they haul it off and dump what they don't want at a gate later.  They took the time to dress and skin it.  Sounds like what lots do for bears, but that seems to be a bit much for a deer.  Lifesize mount?  Buckskin gloves?  Most of the poaching I hear of is right next to the houses or in people's yards. 

[blacktaill]

Ya that pisses me off to!!! That is where i have hunted for 20 years!!

[Co]

 

[robodad]

Could have been a deer that hung too long at home after the kill and just soured so it got brought back for the smaller critters, dump won't take em 

[singleshot12]

I'm thinking the carcass was hauled and dumped there for the coyotes on purpose, nothing else really makes any sense. Whoever left it must of figured the meat had soured or had gangrene or something. If a hunter reports an inedible deer they can dispose of it and get issued another tag. But if the meat had gone bad from neglect then not.

[singleshot12]

Ha! ya beat me to it robodad

[Wild Bill]

You would think the tag would have been with it...

Rules be damned... I know I'm not the only one who don't leave a notched tag unattended.... Especially with all the scum running round these days... Know the forum lawyers are gonna be all over it, but 90% of people on here wouldn't leave the animal alone with a tag either...

[HoofsandWings]

I'm thinking the carcass was hauled and dumped there for the coyotes on purpose, nothing else really makes any sense. Whoever left it must of figured the meat had soured or had gangrene or something. If a hunter reports an inedible deer they can dispose of it and get issued another tag. But if the meat had gone bad from neglect then not.

Thats possible. Still had paper towels in gut cavity. There was no smell of bad meat, no flies and the meat had not started to darken.
No animals had touched it.

[sirmissalot]

Have you been back to see if its still there?

[bearhunter99]

If there were no flies or smell and the meat had not started to darken there was probably someone coming back for the rest of it.  Sounds like a pretty fresh kill to me. 

I wish more states had laws like Alaska's.  Up there you get a fine if you haven't packed every bit of edible meat before you pack the horns/hide.

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

Found a 2 point shot and left for the birds/yotes outside Eburg last week. Reported it in person to a gamey. He didn't seem too interested even though it had been shot in the last day or two. 

[Austrian Hunter]

Why would a poacher go to the lengths of gutting it, skinning it and leaving it?  Wouldn't a poacher just take the head? 

 

[HoofsandWings]

Have you been back to see if its still there?

Yes, I had checked about 6 hours later and it was still there, but starting to smell and covered with flies.

[robodad]

Why would a poacher go to the lengths of gutting it, skinning it and leaving it?  Wouldn't a poacher just take the head? 

 

Perhaps they needed some dream catcher building materials, have you ever seen any meat in one of them ?? 

[HoofsandWings]

followup
WDFW enforcement called Wed PM. I repeated what I told 911. He had the gps coordinates I had provided.
It was not a long conversation.