# Zanesville Area poached bucks



## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

Just got back from Mon & Tues in the Zanesville area. Our group of 6 got 2 does and 3 bucks in the 2 days. Anyway, when I left Tuesday @ 3pm to head for the checking station we passed 2 areas where large bodied bucks had been dumped within a mile of each other. Everything was there - meat, cape and all - the heads were chopped at the base of the neck.

We have never seen this in the area and have been hunting it for 25+ years.

I am going to make a report today - I'm guessing it is 1 group of individuals in the area rather than 2 seperate incidents, but who knows.

What is wrong with people


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Are sure they weren't just road kill? Still not legal, but not uncommon. Some people simply like to collect antlers. However, it is legal for the person who hit the deer to take them when the trooper gives them the permit. Sometimes the meat isn't salvageable, but there's no sense in leaving the antlers there.


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## Flathead King 06 (Feb 26, 2006)

not uncommon at all in ohio... im on the road kill list in clark and champaigne counties and i see it all the time where we'll be called for a deer, it a buck, and when we arrive at the location of the kill, if the patrol officer has already left, sometimes find a headless deer, this happens quite frequently along st. rt. 70 and 675, just this morning i saw one looks like from over the weekend right before you come into beavercreek on 675 where someone had stopped and cut the antlers off the deer and left it lay there, just a big waiste, and it is against the law to cut the rack off without fully removing the deer from the site of the accident


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

These deer were very obviously poached. We got out to inspect the scene and we considered trying to salvage the loins, etc., but thought better of it with the temps and not knowing anything else about the situation. 

You could see where they had been shot (they were all caped out so the body was completely exposed). Certainly appeared to be the standard 12 gauge slugs from looking at the entance/exit wounds.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

I thought they weren't caped out. 
All you can do is report it, but it's unlikely anything comes from it. However, with the head being gone, there's no way to be certain they weren't tagged and perfectly legal. Obviously, that seems unlikely, but there's no way to be sure. I have seen deer shot that were completely unfit to eat, due to sickness.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

Magis - Just to be clear (I may be using bad termonology) they were skined out completely and the heads were off at the base of the neck. The hides were still there from lower chest down - like they took just enough to make mounts. Each one was like this (6 of them).

Like you say it technically proves nothing, but it sure stinks of poachers awfully bad. And you are no doubt correct about anything coming from it, but I thought I should at the least report it. If they get enough reports in one area they may focus some extra manpower if the have the opportunity.
They do the best they can, but be honest - they are just way too thin to patrol like need this week. 

And this area frankly is a bit overpopulated with deer, so it won't hurt the herd at all (at least 1 incident). But I just do not approve of such acts for any reason and would like to see people punished for these things. It isn't so much about breaking the rules as the attitude and waste associated with it. I would not be this angry at somebody who shot a buck illegally, used the meat and tossed it's skull cap on the side of the road.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

I know what you mean, but I'm just playing devils advocate.  The wardens hands will be tied without proof of anything. They're earning their pay this week.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

This is a little off the topic but perhap M.Magis can answer this one for me. I know when a taxidermist takes in a deer to be mounted he has to have the steel tag along with it. How much information does the taxidermist know about the tag number from the ODNR? If someone were to take these deer to get mounted and affixed another tag is there any way that the taxidermist will know there is foul play? I know when deer are checked in they record whether it is buck or doe and number of points (I think). Is that information available to the taxidermist to validate?


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

The tag only tells us that the deer has been checked in. We don't have access to the records. Whether it was checked in by the person bringing it in or not, we have no way of knowing. To be honest, I think it's very rare for the ODNR to review those records except to get statistics. Up until a few years ago, that's all they were good for. Before electronic records, one person could check in numerous deer under their own name and no one would know the difference.


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## Toxic (May 13, 2006)

Before I retired, I was at our main gate doing post checks when I busted a guy coming onto the installation after hours (he was a civilian) who had been drinking and he had a cut off rack, and two hindquarters (tarsal glands) in the back of his truck. The guy stated he got them from a road kill. I had our Desk Sgt notify our county Wildlife Officer. Since there was no way to confirm it was from a road kill, he was ticketed and fined. Also the Wildlife officer searched his home and he had more violations there. He incurred over 600 dollars in fines.


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## Parrothead (Apr 15, 2004)

Many of the DOW Officers had been doing head collecting for CWD testing this fall from road kill deer. This might explain it. I hope that is what it is and not someone poaching. Still doesn't hurt to call it in to the TIP office.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

sounds like poaching to me.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

We hunted Hocking Co back in the early 80s and stuff like this went on, I remember skins hanging in trees everything, my wife and I as well as friends of ours rent a cabin down around Hocking/Logan for the big game and hear shooting after dark everytime we are down there, along the same lines did anyone read about that Country singer they busted for some sort of pouching up in Minn, seems as though he illegally took a bear, I think he is in the group Mongomery/Gentry.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Smallmouth Crazy said:


> along the same lines did anyone read about that Country singer they busted for some sort of pouching up in Minn, seems as though he illegally took a bear, I think he is in the group Mongomery/Gentry.


I believe the whole charge stems from him claiming to have shot a trophy bear from a gameful hunt when in fact it was taken from a fenced in preserve. I don't know what kind of punishment he incurred.


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

Here's an article from this past Saturday's Cincinnati Enquirer that talks about this issue:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061125/NEWS01/611250360/-1/back01


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