A landowner’s discovery of three headless white-tailed bucks dumped in a cornfield last fall triggered a multi-state poaching investigation that has now resulted in 44 misdemeanor convictions, hefty fines, hunting bans, and forfeited gear.
On October 26, 2025, a rural landowner near Vienna, South Dakota, reported finding the trio of headless carcasses roughly five miles southeast of town. After alerting South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Wildlife, Conservation Officers responded and determined the deer had been illegally shot with a high-powered rifle during closed season. According to reports at the time, no meat was taken from the recovered deer as they were found with only the heads and antlers removed.
After going public with the findings, tips submitted through the South Dakota Turn In Poachers (TIPS) program began to pour in and ended up being instrumental in busting the case wide open. An initial TIPS post helped generate more leads, leading to the recovery of three of the severed heads hidden in a nearby tree belt.
With severed heads and headless bodies on hand, investigators were soon able to match DNA samples from the heads to the abandoned carcasses, providing critical forensic links. In addition to the damning DNA evidence, executed search warrants did the rest of the heavy lifting, allowing officers to uncover firearms, a compound bow, blood evidence, and other items tying the group to the violations.
Video evidence included one instance where the suspects documented shooting one of the bucks with a pistol and finishing it with a bow — a feat he went on to claim as his “biggest archery buck to date”.
In the end, investigators were able to determine that at least five deer were taken unlawfully at night, spotlighted from a pickup truck using headlights before being shot with rifles or a bow. Three bucks were decapitated and left to waste in the field. Evidence also pointed to additional illegal big game kills and small game and waterfowl harvests.
The Outcomes
Five individuals from four states pleaded guilty to a combined 44 misdemeanor charges:
The primary defendant, a resident of South Carolina, faced 29 charges. He was ordered to pay more than $12,700 in criminal and civil fines, lost hunting privileges for three years, received a one-year ban on possessing firearms or ammunition, and forfeited several weapons.
Four others from Michigan, New Hampshire, and South Dakota also pleaded guilty, receiving fines and hunting license suspensions.
“South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks thank the public for reporting suspicious activity,” a Facebook post read. “Information submitted through the TIPS hotline continues to play a critical role in holding wildlife violators accountable and protecting the state’s natural resources.”
