This is the time of the year when deer are really getting active. The does have been encouraging their offspring to move along and take on the world on their own, and the bucks have been sparring to determine who is the most dominant.
Once that authority is determined, they begin pursuing does, looking to continue that circle of life. It is at this time that deer are most vulnerable. Their hyper-instincts for self-protection are compromised by a different call of nature.
That season also has hunters anxious for the opportunity to try their luck and dreaming about bringing home the kind of deer they can brag to their friends and families about for years. So rare are these super-sized creatures that a record book exists to document the biggest and to acknowledge their taker.
Also getting busy this time of year is another group that we dare not call hunters. They are criminals who steal opportunities from others. Fortunately, we have people in wildlife law enforcement dedicated to stopping poachers and engaged people willing to share information and their concerns about illegal activity.
The accumulation of that information and a traffic stop by a St. Louis County Police officer led to citations for a Jefferson County man including illegal possession of wildlife, over the limit, taking deer from a roadway, using a motor vehicle and using artificial light to help take wildlife, among others.
Jefferson County Conservation agent Kyle Dunda said the investigation includes up to 30 wildlife code violations, but until the case is filed he could not provide specific details. He said calls to the anonymous tip-line Operation Game Thief helped lead to a resolution of the case.
“The guy had been on our radar for a while,” Dunda said. “Once the case gets through, I will submit a request for reward to the person who called Operation Game Thief.”
A photo of Dunda and the St. Louis County officer shows at least four very big deer heads and a red fox that had been taken illegally. The poacher reportedly kept only the deer heads and wasted the venison.
“This individual is robbing legal hunters of the opportunity to harvest a big Missouri white-tailed buck,” Dunda said. “People who go about it the right way, ethically and legally, are the victims. Guys like this just say, ‘forget all that’ and make their own rules.”
While Dunda was investigating that case that involved deer poaching in both St. Louis and Jefferson counties, another call brought assistance from agent Patrice Reese from Crawford County. Although agents are assigned to specific counties, their jurisdiction is statewide.
The case that Reese is investigating involves a deer killed illegally in east-central Jefferson County. Dunda said the deer’s antlers would score about 170. (The point-scoring system measures total inches of antlers and distances between the main beams. Record book acknowledgment for typical white-tailed deer begins at 160 inches.)
The offenders face only fines for the violations, which never seems adequate to the crime committed against the wildlife and against the sportsmen and women who are denied the opportunity to hunt those deer legally.
State lawmakers have introduced legislation to increase the fines and potential penalties for poachers convicted of stealing wildlife, but proposals have not moved forward. Now is a good time to remind state representatives and senators that punishment should match the crime. Without adequate deterrent, the good work of law enforcement officers and concerned citizens is not enough.
John J. Winkelman is community relations manager at Mercy Hospital Jefferson. If you have news for the Leader’s Outdoor News page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com and you can follow John on Twitter at @johnjwink99.