Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Levipowell on January 25, 2022, 10:42:35 PM

Title: Poacher help
Post by: Levipowell on January 25, 2022, 10:42:35 PM: Hey guys. I was wondering if you could help me out with a situation I have. I'd been scouting this buck out for the last few years. Hunting season starts on September 1st where I’m at and at the end of august I stopped getting any deer on camera. I thought it was odd because I usually get at least 8 or so coming through each day. After around two weeks of not having a single deer on camera, I knew something was wrong. On September 10th, I went out and walk around a bit. A little backstory: I was hunting in a public land area where the only way to get out of city limits (where archery hunting was legal) was to enter the forest in the city limits. I had my trail camera placed on the line that connects the public property with private property and knew that there was a hunter hunting on his property for the same deer I was after. The area I’m hunting is bow only. Back to the story: I was walking to my camera and hadn’t exited city limits. I had with me my Labrador and ended up downwind from the other hunter’s property. My dog suddenly smelled something and started going frantic. She ran off to the property line and I followed. When I arrived at where she was, she had crossed the property line by around 20 feet and was rolling in what looked like a dead animal. At closer inspection, I realized it was the 7x5 blacktail I had been after the past few years. It looked like it had been there for a while. The last photo I have of him was taken on August 15th. He didn’t have any meat on him, but he still had an outer layer of skin. At first, I thought he may have died of natural causes but after looking closer, I noticed a hole right behind the shoulder. To me, it looked nothing like an arrow hole. It looks like a bullet hole, but I need your advice. To my knowledge, the other hunter has a stand around 50 yards from where I found the deer. I’m thinking that the deer was shot in city limits. I’m not sure what to do. I’ve reported it to game wardens, and they haven’t returned any of my repeated calls, emails, or reports.
Final questions:
Based on how he looks and the fact that this picture was taken on September 12th while hunting season started on September 1st, do you think he was taken in season?
Do you think he was taken with a bow or rifle/some type of gun?
Any other feedback is much appreciated. Thanks for reading,
-Levi
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: Born2late on January 25, 2022, 10:58:57 PM: here is my observations and/or advice
It would be hard to say who shot him.I'd be careful to not point fingers.
Does look like a bullet hole or a field point hole.
The animal is hard horned and brown so when ever the deer in your area get that way would give you a approximate date of when he was last alive.
I pretty sure you would have to leave the head there also unless the warden gave you permission to take it to turn over to them.
Bummer to see a deer get wasted. hopefully some of his kids will show up there for you to hunt.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: Tbar on January 26, 2022, 01:21:58 AM: Did the warden take the antlers?
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: harveymarv on January 26, 2022, 04:52:14 AM: in general, poachers don't leave racks like that laying on the ground...
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: MADMAX on January 26, 2022, 05:49:29 AM: Quote from: Tbar on January 26, 2022, 01:21:58 AM
Did the warden take the antlers?

If it was me
Id be nuking this post

nice rack

You do know taking the skull is illegal , right ?
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: trophyhunt on January 26, 2022, 06:26:50 AM: Quote from: MADMAX on January 26, 2022, 05:49:29 AM
Quote from: Tbar on January 26, 2022, 01:21:58 AM
Did the warden take the antlers?

If it was me
Id be nuking this post

nice rack

You do know taking the skull is illegal , right ?
:yeah: I'll add, I'd take the rack in a second, just wouldn't post about it. I've caught poachers red handed, tons of evidence, even a found a bullet from the animal during archery season and NOTHING came out of it. Just nuke the thread and get that skull mounted with a cape someday!!
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: fishngamereaper on January 26, 2022, 06:27:55 AM: Quote from: MADMAX on January 26, 2022, 05:49:29 AM
Quote from: Tbar on January 26, 2022, 01:21:58 AM
Did the warden take the antlers?

If it was me
Id be nuking this post

nice rack

You do know taking the skull is illegal , right ?

:yeah:

Call it a day. File a road kill salvage permit.
Gamie won't investigate it. No proof of wrong doing, private property....Move on.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: RobinHoodlum on January 26, 2022, 06:29:54 AM: Besides possession of the deadhead, seems like you're also admitting to trespass here. Sucks to see him shot and lost or left.
Strange (but not surprising) that enforcement hasn't been responsive. However, if you're contacting them in January for something that happened last September, that's a low probability case - thus the lack of interest. Like madmax said, you might consider dropping the whole thing and deleting this post.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: LDennis24 on January 26, 2022, 06:39:49 AM: :o
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on January 26, 2022, 06:52:54 AM: Delete post.
.
Remember, it is not the criminal they are after, it's a conviction.
.
Only evidence is you.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: millerwheeler on January 26, 2022, 06:55:29 AM: So , you trespassed to get to the deer itself ? I wouldn’t point fingers as u don’t know , delete the thread lots of taddle tails on hunt wa
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: Tbar on January 26, 2022, 07:08:26 AM: Quote from: millerwheeler on January 26, 2022, 06:55:29 AM
So , you trespassed to get to the deer itself ? I wouldn’t point fingers as u don’t know , delete the thread lots of taddle tails on hunt wa
What's the thread about? What's the OP claiming as well as looking for? The title says poacher help with little evidence of such other than the appearance of a hole, a stretch. Excellent advice for the op.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: dreadi on January 26, 2022, 07:08:39 AM: Dog rolling in a dead animal carcass? First thing I think of is anthrax.

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Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: h2ofowlr on January 26, 2022, 07:16:33 AM: Probably a few folks going after those Sudden Valley monsters.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: Ghost Hunter on January 26, 2022, 07:22:41 AM: Very nice buck. Shame to find it that way. Show it the respect it deserves. ;)
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: meatwhack on January 26, 2022, 07:26:12 AM: This is a train wreck.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: Rainier10 on January 26, 2022, 07:48:27 AM: Looking at past posts I believe we have a youth hunter here who may have made a mistake.

Levi I would wait to hear back from the WDFW before I did anything else.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: Levipowell on January 26, 2022, 07:56:58 AM: I knew I had to get a permit, but the officer never replied to me. (I contacted him when the event happened, and have continued to do so to this day. Because he didnt reply, I filed a salvage permit. It was the closest thing to what I thought I needed https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/roadkill-salvage
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: The scout on January 26, 2022, 08:00:08 AM: Well he’ll probably get in contact with you now..
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: h20hunter on January 26, 2022, 08:00:54 AM: The permit applies per the link to animals killed by motor vehicles......I don't think a salvage permit helps in this situation.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: Rainier10 on January 26, 2022, 08:04:32 AM: I am not sure I would do or say anything more until you hear from WDFW.
Title: Re: Poacher help
Post by: Widgeondeke on January 26, 2022, 08:11:42 AM: In theory the buck was hit by this car below and made it to where you found him. :IBCOOL:
Not poached or shot by a hunter :twocents:

Salvage permit is good now