# Poached Buck



## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

We flew our helicopter survey about a week ago and spotted several buck skulls from the air which we marked to go back later and retrieve. This skull was found about 40 yards off of one of the main interior fence lines on the ranch. Most of the bones were scattered close by. The shoulder blade appears to have a bullet hole in it. I know that no one who has permission to hunt our place shot this deer. He had to have been killed late last season because I had seen this buck around Christmas time with in about a 1/4 of a mile from where his remains where found.


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## Pathfinder (Jun 9, 2004)

That is a darn shame and really gets my blood boiling!!! :hairout:


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## USMC_Sgt_RedHunter (Dec 2, 2008)

The hunting gods saw the whole thing. What goes around, comes around.


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## catchysumfishy (Jul 19, 2008)

That pizzez me off!


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## Bigwater (May 21, 2004)

50 caliber black powder maybe??? Hole looks pretty big.

Biggie


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## cameron00 (Mar 6, 2007)

Is your ranch low-fenced? Is it possible he was on another property and jumped your fence before dying?

Terrible shame. Great looking buck. At least he was done in late in the season after he had likely "passed the genes".


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

cameron00 said:


> Is your ranch low-fenced? Is it possible he was on another property and jumped your fence before dying?
> 
> Terrible shame. Great looking buck. At least he was done in late in the season after he had likely "passed the genes".


The ranch is high fenced, and he was pretty much in the middle of the ranch probably at least a mile from any exterior fence.


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## wellconnected (May 30, 2005)

I thought poaching was a thing of the past with the tougher laws, but I was sure wrong. 3 weeks ago we chased but did not catch, a poacher off our lease in the middle of the day. He came in an easement road that runs along our eastern border. Last week we find the body of what appeared to be a larger, older buck, just down from our front gate with the head cut off it. I guess they poached it just for the horns and just left the rest of the body to rot. What a waste!!!


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

Fence or not, your property is not safe.

Texas Monthly did a very interesting interview article with a former professional poacher a few years ago who had claimed to have hunted nearly every famous large acerage ranch in the Golden Triangle ... taken illegal clients on those properties (some during the night with night visioned rifles), had racked up over 1 million dollars in 6 years doing so, and killed more than 2 dozen Boone and Crockett bucks.

Very sad what "industry" will do to a sport.


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## silverado 1 (Jul 21, 2007)

Couple of our guys on our lease in Hardin county chased some guys spot lighting last week on our lease but they got away.


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## redduck (Jul 26, 2006)

maybe a shotgun slug. Perhaps shot near the fence and ran off to die.


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## Pathfinder (Jun 9, 2004)

I sure hope the game warden is notified anytime you guys come across this or if you find someone hunting on your place.


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

we got guys comeing in by boat , they use a trolling moter to get in and not be heard , then claim to just be fishing ??? they are very sneeky and the GW is having a real hard time catching them , they as of last week have now stolen all my game cams , man do i hate poachers !!! these guys are hard to catch red handed i have been trying but no luck


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## catchysumfishy (Jul 19, 2008)

pilar said:


> we got guys comeing in by boat , they use a trolling moter to get in and not be heard , then claim to just be fishing ??? they are very sneeky and the GW is having a real hard time catching them , they as of last week have now stolen all my game cams , man do i hate poachers !!! these guys are hard to catch red handed i have been trying but no luck


Pilar, you have had a rough time over there, is it worth it?


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

*it is the same guys and yes it is not worth it*



catchysumfishy said:


> Pilar, you have had a rough time over there, is it worth it?


we think it is the same guys that are running dogs at night and also deer hunting , i think i am throwing in the towel on this place , just to much BS and to much $$$$ , :headknock:headknock:headknock


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## catchysumfishy (Jul 19, 2008)

pilar said:


> we think it is the same guys that are running dogs at night and also deer hunting , i think i am throwing in the towel on this place , just to much BS and to much $$$$ , :headknock:headknock:headknock


Where is this at, i forgot? Sounds like a challenge to me :biggrin:


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Strange that if they were poachers, they would leave the deers horns...


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

Haute Pursuit said:


> Strange that if they were poachers, they would leave the deers horns...


I think the poacher shot the deer and when he found him in the brush he was disappointed in the size of his rack and left him. The deer is pretty wide and has alot of points, but doesn't score well at all. I have not taped him out, but I don't think he will score better than mid 130's.


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

That could very well be.


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

*horns*



chad said:


> I think the poacher shot the deer and when he found him in the brush he was disappointed in the size of his rack and left him. The deer is pretty wide and has alot of points, but doesn't score well at all. I have not taped him out, but I don't think he will score better than mid 130's.


i think a poacher would go ahead and take them to a taxadermist and sell them , i see deer for sale at freer deer camp and other places :hairout:


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## TXFPCOACH (Jul 2, 2008)

Not knowing your lease members any chance he was shot and not reported, or someone shot and thought they missed (no blood) If the place is High fenced how exactly does a poacher get into the place (shoot a deer in the middle) and get out without anyone knowing wouldn't there be a lock or something cut?

I'm not underminding the notion of poachers just seems a little strange. 

We tend to find out "later" on our lease that someone shot and "missed".


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## Rusty S (Apr 6, 2006)

TXFPCOACH said:


> If the place is High fenced how exactly does a poacher get into the place (shoot a deer in the middle) and get out without anyone knowing wouldn't there be a lock or something cut?


Pair of Klein wire cutters. rs


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## Pathfinder (Jun 9, 2004)

TXFPCOACH said:


> Not knowing your lease members any chance he was shot and not reported, or someone shot and thought they missed (no blood) If the place is High fenced how exactly does a poacher get into the place (shoot a deer in the middle) and get out without anyone knowing wouldn't there be a lock or something cut?
> 
> I'm not underminding the notion of poachers just seems a little strange.
> 
> We tend to find out "later" on our lease that someone shot and "missed".


You'd be very surprised. Years ago a major poaching ring was busted. They were very organized and dabbled in drugs too. They used night vision, hand held GPS, silenced rifles and even attached wood to the bottom of their boots carved out to look like cattle hooves. They would pack water and MRE meals to stay for days at a time on peoples ranches. In full camo and on foot, you would be hard pressed to find someone that didn't want to be found in south texas.


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## Swampus (Sep 1, 2005)

We have caught some and flat put them in jail--took the truck--guns--All of it and restitution for the deer.----With the game wardens help---just have to wait till they get the deer in the truck and all get in to go and BAM!!! Bars for a view--never hunt again with a license---BUST THEM BASTAGES PERIOD--takes time and ya gotta be pizzed enough to stay in the game and follow thru!


Catch um' guys and bust their balls!

swamp!................................poacher catcher type dude!


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## BROWN (Jan 8, 2006)

Spec-Rig.006 said:


> Fence or not, your property is not safe.
> 
> Texas Monthly did a very interesting interview article with a former professional poacher a few years ago who had claimed to have hunted nearly every famous large acerage ranch in the Golden Triangle ... taken illegal clients on those properties (some during the night with night visioned rifles), had racked up over 1 million dollars in 6 years doing so, and killed more than 2 dozen Boone and Crockett bucks.
> 
> Very sad what "industry" will do to a sport.


I can't believe people will pay to go on an illegal hunt, especially at night.


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## mudcatz71 (Jun 8, 2006)

Rusty S said:


> Pair of Klein wire cutters. rs


 A jack out of a pickup works well too. Jack the bottom of the fence up, crawl under and drag deer under cover tracks then most of the time it will never get noticed.

When you hunt keep your twoway radios on monitor where it will catch any key on all channels you may be surprized on what you may here in the woods.


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## BALZTOWAL (Aug 29, 2006)

HOW BIG OF A LEASE IS IT? CHECK WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS AND GUESTS. WHEN A PERSON PAYS A LOT OF MONEY TO HUNT THEY WANT TO KILL AND MAYBE IT WAS A BAD SHOT.


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## essayons75 (May 15, 2006)

Poaching is truely a bad deal, but the folks that grew up hunting can't aford to go anymore....but desperation is no excuse. If you have some nice land to hunt, be very thankful. It is rare for most of us that grew up hunting neighbors fields, pastures, and river bottoms. I grew up in south Mississippi and always had a fun place to poke around. I know a lot about the outdoors, but Texas is fence bound for the rich.

Ty


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## BigGarwood (Oct 13, 2008)

I have a problem with poachers too. My and my buddy were actually at our lease one evening when 2 east tx imbred MFers, looked like somethin out of The Deliverance, road there 4wheeler right up to us and asked us how our hunt was goin and we were just scouting. since they were just teenagers i had some mercy and didnt put them in jail, but i told em to get there arse outta there and if i ever cought them out there again i would blow the big weird shaped thing on top of their shoulders off. Iv had no more problems.


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## c b payne (Nov 19, 2008)

Most poachers are thieves, always record serial #'s on gamecams and feeders, if there are no serial #'s engrave last 4 digits of ssn# for positive id. Always report the theft to to local GW, he will usually have a good idea who took them and with positive id, he can make a case against them.
Worked well for me and haven't had a problem since


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## essayons75 (May 15, 2006)

essayons75 said:


> Poaching is truely a bad deal, but the folks that grew up hunting can't aford to go anymore....but desperation is no excuse. If you have some nice land to hunt, be very thankful. It is rare for most of us that grew up hunting neighbors fields, pastures, and river bottoms. I grew up in south Mississippi and always had a fun place to poke around. I know a lot about the outdoors, but Texas is fence bound for the rich.
> 
> Ty


I'll have to reply to my own post. Thank goodness for the great fishing and access to fishing in Texas. I love Texas.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

BROWN said:


> I can't believe people will pay to go on an illegal hunt, especially at night.


Believe it man ... Doctors, Lawyers, Mud-Loggers, Tradesman ... anyone with the cash, a childish bravado, and an ego can be tempted to poach.

When Bass Pro Shop and the like offer 30K price tags for 200"+ world class antlers ... it can hit home the hard way pretty quick.

Pathfinder was right, professionals will go to great lengths to get in and out undetected. The guy interviewed in Texas Monthly had reportedly cut locks off of gates, taken them to town, had keys made and replaced the locks on over 40 properties. He'd cut fences but mended them into make shift gates that looked like all the other fence panels and in one instance had even tunneled onto a property as well as used ultra-light aircrafts to find deer before hunting them that night with clients.

National Geographic did their own piece on black market animal trades as well in '96 I think ... a very good and very scarey article.

Several years ago we had a ring busted in Refugio that were caught with not only deer and hog meat for sale, but cattle, furniture, electronics, trucks, drugs ... we had robo-deer on our food plots for an entire season and game wardens in the trees. Guys were coming in off the river and setting our feeders to go off at midnight and hunting them from boats ... no more ...

I hate theives.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

Oh ... one other thing ... word from our local GW:

If you ever see a grocery bag or trash bag hanging in a tree or on a fence along the highway on your property, question why it's there or remove it. They're sometimes used as a marker for drop-offs or pick-ups by poachers.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Some of you probably remember Operation Venado Macho.

Another good article -- Stealing Beauty.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

Charles Helm said:


> Another good article -- Stealing Beauty.


That's the one ... !!! Thanks for the link Charles ... !


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## Ckill (Mar 9, 2007)

Also remember it may not only be poachers but illegals also. I drove(atv) up on a 'camp' that was used by them on a remote place on our ranch. It took a few seconds for me to figure out what was going on...and that was a bad feeling thinking you may not be alone. Luckily no one was home and the authorities were notified.....turns out they had already busted them a few weeks earlier...walking down the same road. My ruger LCP travels with me at all times now. Becareful lots of time these people have nothing to lose.


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## Rusty S (Apr 6, 2006)

Spec-Rig.006 said:


> Oh ... one other thing ... word from our local GW:
> 
> If you ever see a grocery bag or trash bag hanging in a tree or on a fence along the highway on your property, question why it's there or remove it. They're sometimes used as a marker for drop-offs or pick-ups by poachers.


 Or a beer/soda can hung upside down on a branch, immediately check the tie wires on the bottom of your fence and in the middle of your fence. rs


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## bohunk1 (Nov 12, 2006)

Gives me the RED asres, Like a three foot flame!!!


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## Brassnadz (Jun 18, 2007)

I used to hunt on a lease back in the days when it was affordable. I wish I still could. Perhaps someone would be interested in trading some 'stakeout time' for a hunt? I cant stand poachers of any sort. Try to find their vehicles and put them out of commision, then call in the GW. Im serious bout this. Plus, Im not that interested in trophies, only meat, so I would only take your culls. When I had a lease, it was in Camp Wood. Sometimes I would just go for the shear pleasure of getting out of the city and shoot deer with a camera instead of a gun. I really miss those days. Hope yall find a solution to the poachers. Too bad the law wont let us 'rehabilitate' them on sight. It would slow it down, and save tax money.:texasflag


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## o_brother (Jul 26, 2007)

I have a cousin that was one a lease here in South Texas that was about 800 acs. that had several county roads with in a mile or two of the lease.. There were 3 guys on the lease that were all close friends.. Well, the nice bucks started missing and no one admitted to shooting them.. Everyone thought poachers were the reason.. So my cousin put up game cams with out the rest of the guys knowing.. Guess want, yeap one of the so called good friends was caught on everyone day and night hunting with other guys paying him to take them in... After he had enough evidence he went to the land owner. They set up a sting with the local Game Warden and busted him.. You never know......

Mike


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

Lots of good stories and theories out there. I really just posted this because it makes me really mad, and I thought you guys would find it interesting. Just to clarify a little though about some of your theories. This is not a lease. It is a family owned ranch and there are no other members. Just my parents, my brother and I, and our guests. My theory is that it was either a professional poacher, or some one who had knowlege of the ranch maybe even the gate combination. On a ranch like ours there are people coming in and out all the time. We have full time ranch employees (I don't really think it was any of them), we have part time empoyess, delivery trucks, repair people, and so on. I wouldn't have even posted this if I wasn't 99 % sure that the deer was shot illegally. Any thing is possible though.


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## Tx HNT/FSH College Boy (Dec 4, 2008)

that is fing worthless! Really gets my blood boiling! ive seen it on my place before!


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