CDFW
California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers have finally put the cuffs on a quartet of poaching suspects after a multi-year investigation revealed nefarious activity connected to alleged illegal deer poaching across parts of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties.
The arrests occurred on March 13th after search warrants were served in Visalia and Farmersville. According to the CDFW, investigators believe that the four people unlawfully took approximately 30 deer over the past three years in deer zones D7, D8, and D9.
As is the case with many of these incidents, the majority of the animals were allegedly killed out of season and with illegal methods, including the use of spotlights they used to blast bucks after dark. Authorities also reported instances of blatant tag fraud, including the reuse and fraudulent duplication of deer tags — with one tag allegedly used on four different animals.
During the searches, officers seized numerous deer skulls, processed venison, and other evidence. A firearm without a serial number (read: a ghost gun) was recovered, and CDFW K-9 units did their thing as one dog alerted to a concealed firearm hidden under a couch, while another located a buried deer head.
K9s doing work | CDFW
If convicted on multiple counts under the California Fish and Game Code, the suspects could face significant consequences. Base misdemeanor penalties for Fish and Game violations typically include fines up to $1,000 and up to six months in county jail per count (or up to $2,000 and one year for certain aggravated violations). However, for serious deer poaching cases, especially those involving trophy animals, repeated offenses, or large numbers of animals, we’re all hoping that the hammer gets dropped on these guys.
In the state of California, fines for illegally taking a “trophy” deer can range from a minimum of $5,000 to $40,000 per animal and depending how prosecutors treat the ghost gun charge, that could carry between one and three years behind bars and at least another $1,000 in fines.
Seized antlers | CDFW
The case has since been referred to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. As of right now, formal charges had not yet been publicly detailed, and the identities of the four individuals have not been released by authorities.
