This story has gone viral within the wildlife and hunting communities in VA. First saw news about this earlier in the week. I will await the outcome of the VA DWR investigation and other probable concurrent LE investigations that are ongoing. However, the hunter better have pretty good evidence of his actions as he will be under the proverbial microscope.

 

The picture of the Hollywood buck was from last Oct. (2023) don't they drop the antlers? Do they grow back non typical?

 

Yes, the photographer's picture was from October and the alleged violation and pictures were from 2 months later. Thus, the comparisons are quite valid when the photos, dated 2 months apart, are closely scrutinized.

 

With pictures of three matching deer all shot by the same hunter it would be far fetched to believe they are not all the same deer and from the cemetery. The two pictures of the non typical are the same deer. Unless he hitched a ride on a truck that old Buck didnt travel that far.

 

If the guy did kill the Hollywood Buck, lock him up. If guilty, he is not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree.
Many years ago in Washington, before social media, someone took pics and bragged about their trophy elk. A couple people recognized the terrain. He was in Mt Rainier National Park. Again not too smart to share your trophy's from places closed to hunting. Same basic scenario with elk in near by Hanford reservation. Posting pics in restricted areas= dumb***

 

Guilty until proven innocent. Let’s crucify him in the media

A buddy of mine is a serious archery deer hunter. He has killed over 180 deer with his bow alone. He has pictures on his trail cam‘s of a really nice buck. On his way to work one day, he saw a nice buck stopped and took some pictures. When he compared the pictures it was the same buck. 11 miles away in eight hours. Who knows how far his deer actually went.

The rut will drive dear many miles away. Not just in search of does, but other aggressive bucks can run older bucks like this off. Whitetail deer are very patternable. However, will change territory overnight if the rut, feed, predators or human pressures move them off. How many times have we seen great bucks in our hunting area only to have them disappear without a trace?

I’m not saying the guy is innocent. If he’s guilty, throw the book at him. I hate poachers. Especially poachers just after a trophy. There was a very famous deer taken in Arizona. Information was presented to me that it may have been taken around some nefarious circumstances. I reported it to, no less than, five game and fish officers. The response from all of them was, “it’s not my area”.

 

I hope they throw the book at the hunter if he is guilty.

I'll bet those were the best tasting antlers ever...

 

Wow! What a buck!!

 

Interesting buck, for sure. IF he's guilty, and they can prove it, they should absolutely throw him under the jail. I take a VERY dim view of poaching. For his own sake, he better have ironclad evidence.

As far as social media goes, it's been the downfall of many. If you're going to do something sketchy, keep it to yourself. If you're enough a moron to put it out publicly, then you deserve whatever you get.

 

He might as well have gone hunting at the zoo.
I know we should not try people on social media but..... hmmmmmm....
What are the chances that he shot 3 deer in the same year that are identical to those known to be living in a restricted ''no hunting'' area. The area he said he killed them in is way out of what a buck's travel zone would be even during the rut.

 

From the article: "Although Spuchesi could not identify Jason Walters as a person of interest “at this time” to Outdoor Life on Friday, a DWR press release revealed Monday afternoon that “the primary suspect sent photos of himself with the nontypical 29-point buck to a Facebook page, claiming to have killed the buck in Prince Edward County, Virginia, with a muzzleloader.” It further notes that conservation officers “made contact with a suspect and through interviews determined that the deer was killed illegally.” Officers have recovered evidence, though the release did not include specifics, and are working to identify others who may have been involved. The release does not name Walters, nor any other suspect."

Sounds like the tree police got an admission of at least one illegally killed deer and are working on the other two bucks and who all else was involved.

 

many people today are addicted and obsessed with attention. Kinda like the morons who have to put on a theatrical presentation at a wedding to try and "one up" the last most outrageous crap show that someone else posted on social media. The everyday selfies and disgusting attention seeking activities of these clowns is simply pathetic. They will go to great lengths to seek relevance and feel important. If this idiot did this then hopefully they will take his hunting privileges for life, keep all his gear, and let him mow the grass in the cemetery for the next 10 years with a push mower.

 

Your proposed penalties are too weak in my view. Jail time, if guilty. Must have due process from the legal system first. Sounds like that is happening now.

 

Guy kills 3 famous bucks that tons of people of photographed and wants us all to believe it was just all happenstance? He might be good friends with those walleye fisherman too. I get it, innocent until proven guilty, but Casey Anthony and OJ Simpson were “innocent” too.

 

This is where I'm at in the debate.

 

If I was a betting man… I’d bet the guy poached it… Gotta impress my friends

 

 

What frustrates me is how commercialized hunting has become. If you don’t get something “at least this big, this many points, then you’re not as good of a hunter as I am”.

I worked hard teaching my two sons that you eat what you shoot, you practice so they won’t suffer. There might be a point in your life you have to shoot one out of season but it’s for food only. Every magazine article today is about horns or “800 yard shots”. How did we get here.

 

What frustrates me is how commercialized hunting has become. If you don’t get something “at least this big, this many points, then you’re not as good of a hunter as I am”.

I worked hard teaching my two sons that you eat what you shoot, you practice so they won’t suffer. There might be a point in your life you have to shoot one out of season but it’s for food only. Every magazine article today is about horns or “800 yard shots”. How did we get here.

It's Al Gore's fault because he invented the internet. And it's Mark Zucker bird's fault too because he invented the most intrusive way to spy on anyone and then serve it up to the biggest buyers (libtards).

 

No such thing as “the King’s deer”, guys.

I support civil penalties for killing a game animal without regard for the rules, but the disproportionate taking of private property prior to due process is yet another un-Constitutional governmental overreach.

The fact that so many support it is disheartening. The normalization of government’s unconstitutional actions must end if we wish to restore power to its rightful holders. That would be us.

 

I'm about 35 miles south of Richmond. I've only seen one report on TV news and heard it on radio. I just don't watch much news anymore. But plenty of people talking about it.
As mentioned plenty of people have regularly photographed these deer in the cemetery within the city limits of RVA. Hollywood cemetery is quite a place.
I think VaDWR will be able to have a case.

So I guess if this guy convicted will move out of state so he can continue to hunt.

 

I believe that a majority of states (35+ maybe) have a reciprocal penalty that doesn't allow people who've had their right to hunt in another state to hunt in their state.

 

When it comes to poachers being punished. I think of that scene in the movie Casino when they caught the 2 guys stealing/cheating at the card table in the casino and have been hitting other casinos for months. Both were taken to the back room. I doubt the "scene" would be allowed here at M.O. So you'll have to view the scene by another means if interested.

Old Creek

 

When it comes to poachers being punished. I think of that scene in the movie Casino when they caught the 2 guys stealing/cheating at the card table in the casino and have been hitting other casinos for months. Both were taken to the back room. I doubt the "scene" would be allowed here at M.O. So you'll have to view the scene by another means if interested.

Old Creek

You can leave with your deer, or you can leave with your hands

 

I remember that a big deer was killed years ago, and the hunter bragged about it in PA. Come to find out it was in a zoo. He was convicted when DNA was examined.

 

Back in 1987 someone snuck into the Desert Museum by Tucson and killed and caped a bighorn sheep.
The sheep had been in the enclosure most of his life.
Some guy from California pled guilty to it.
He was sentenced to 5 years in prison and fined $8000.
I am not sure what to call someone , that would basically sneak into a zoo and kill an animal.
I am sure I couldn't say it here.

 

And the worst part of that crime wasn't that he killed an animal trapped in a zoo, which was bad enough, it was that the animal was at home in that habitat and trusted the humans that came to visit him. IMO, the sentence was way too light. Of course I've seen court programs on television where someone will get far less time in prison than that for murdering someone especially if the person belonged to a politically untouchable group..

 

These days everything is a contest. why cant people just enjoy something.

 

Well, if guilty hopefully he loses hunting privileges for life in addition to jail and at least a $10,000 fine for each offense. I wish the worst would happen to him, confiscation of vehicles and equipment involved. One deer could have possibly made it to where he claims he shot it but not three so I doubt his innocence.

 

And an affordable taxidermist 😂

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/12/27/richmond-poaching-hollywood-buck/

 

I couldn’t read the article, but searched online for for information. The hunter is going to be charged, and others as well. It’ll be interesting how much fine and jail time they will receive.