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Big News Here in Texas. 2nd biggest Texas whitetail ever.. taken illegally

Arrowsmith1

Arrowsmith1

Active Member
278" buck was shot at night and hunter was trespassing on property that he did not have permission to hunt.

He plead no contest on the charges. He received one year in jail, suspended, 40 hours community service, two years probation, loss of hunting license for probationary period and $53,000.00 in civil restitution fines.

Click on this link for more info and pictures.

http://www.kxii.com/content/news/Denton-Co-man-sentenced-after-poaching-record-buck-471484124.html

For more info click on this link to Texas Game Wardens FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/TexasGameWardens/posts/1690776834314030
 
This deer was kind of a neighborhood deer. The buck spent a lot of time in a state park and was seen by a lot of people. The buck was well known in the area and was kind of a legend in the area. There are a couple of big chunks of private ground that butted up to the park. This kept the buck fairly safe during previous hunting seasons. This guy had leased a very small (2-3 acres) that butted up to one of the big pieces of private ground that the buck frequented.

His story was that he shot the deer on Sept. 30 which was opening day of bow season in Texas. His stand was reported to be about 70 yards into the private ground that he did NOT have permission to hunt on.....not on this 2-3 acre "lease". He made a bad shot and did not recover the buck. After seeing buck again on game cam he got another chance the following weekend, but apparently from the investigation it was well after legal shooting time. He told the game warden that he was putting the deer out of his misery. Now....this was a deer that was showing back up on camera, at a feeder location, a week later, and from pictures appeared to be very healthy. He also told the warden that he slept in his stand all night one night to not spook the buck.

This guy was known in his neck of the woods as "good guy". Big bucks can make good people do stupid things.
 
My question is, how the heck did he shoot this deer a couple of hours past legal shooting time, with a bow? Did he have a spotlighting rig on his tree stand or something? I've thought that a guy might be able to bow hunt at night with a full moon and a clear sky, but have obviously never tried it. After reading some of the comments, turns out this is the 3rd time this guy has gotten busted for poaching activity. Not a "good guy". He should have received the jail time, and should have to pay the entire fine, not just some of it.
 
3rd offense? Is that legit? wow. yeah.... time for jail.

...pretty sure if I was in the neighborhood and that happened.... guy would wish he was in jail.... just sayin'.
 
Sligh1 said:
Dang!!! Imagine the guys who wanted to hunt that buck legitimately. Wow- that’d be the ultimate kick the groin. Ouch.
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It'll never happen but the $53,000 should be split up between any land owners that can produce a trail cam photo of him on their property.
 
Obsessed said:
My question is, how the heck did he shoot this deer a couple of hours past legal shooting time, with a bow? Did he have a spotlighting rig on his tree stand or something? I've thought that a guy might be able to bow hunt at night with a full moon and a clear sky, but have obviously never tried it. After reading some of the comments, turns out this is the 3rd time this guy has gotten busted for poaching activity. Not a "good guy". He should have received the jail time, and should have to pay the entire fine, not just some of it.
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I have heard he used a hog light. There are a lot of guys that hunt feral hogs at night in Texas. They use lights like this one:

Something like this: http://www.sniperhawglights.com/

And you are right....definitely not a good guy.
 
IowaBowHunter1983 said:
3rd offense? Is that legit? wow. yeah.... time for jail.

...pretty sure if I was in the neighborhood and that happened.... guy would wish he was in jail.... just sayin'.
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There are reports that a person with the same name and same birthday was accused of some kind of illegal hunting activity in 2004. I could not find anything in the Denton county court records, but it has to be him. I have heard that his mother was a city police officer at that time and she got him off the hook.

There are also rumors that he killed another big buck off the same property two years ago.

It does show a pattern of behavior.
 
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Wapsi Tree said:
It'll never happen but the $53,000 should be split up between any land owners that can produce a trail cam photo of him on their property.
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Not to start an argument, but I couldn't disagree more. The deer didn't belong to a landowner. I have had deer I was chasing killed miles away. Money should go to catching more of these assclowns. Or a reward pool for future tips. Probably never pay any of it back anyway.
 
Oct-Lull said:
Not to start an argument, but I couldn't disagree more. The deer didn't belong to a landowner. I have had deer I was chasing killed miles away. Money should go to catching more of these assclowns. Or a reward pool for future tips. Probably never pay any of it back anyway.
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I hear you....just seams like fines are always getting handed down for this or that. Where does that money go?(if they get it) State coffers? Seems the ones that lose aren't ever compensated. What's a trespassing charge? Couple hundred bucks? Who get's that money? I'm fine with it if it goes to something good that is related to the issue...like you said, put it towards catching more of these aholes.
 
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Oct-Lull said:
Not to start an argument, but I couldn't disagree more. The deer didn't belong to a landowner. I have had deer I was chasing killed miles away. Money should go to catching more of these assclowns. Or a reward pool for future tips. Probably never pay any of it back anyway.
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He will have to pay it all. If you don't pay restitution in full they issue a warrant for contempt of court. Every month he misses a payment that next month he will have a warrant for his arrest.
 
Arrowsmith1 said:
There are reports that a person with the same name and same birthday was accused of some kind of illegal hunting activity in 2004. I could not find anything in the Denton county court records, but it has to be him. I have heard that his mother was a city police officer at that time and she got him off the hook.

There are also rumors that he killed another big buck off the same property two years ago.

It does show a pattern of behavior.
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Here's a couple of the abbreviated FB comments that states when and what this poacher had been caught doing in the past:

Daniel Martinez: He was busted for the same thing (road hunting/poaching) back in, what, 2004? So 2004 was a mistake (that’s 1). Then the deer he poached off the same piece of property and had mounted 2 years ago, that was another mistake (that’s 2.....) and then the Texas state record, that’s 3, right? And that’s just the three he got caught doing.

Daniel Martinez: I’ve been an officer for 10 years. You’re lucky your boy was tried in Denton County. If it was Parker County he would have revived the jail time he deserved. Your son has displayed a pattern of poaching behavior with at least 3 deer he’s been caught with that he poached. Should we still leave it up to God or should we wait until the next one, which would be #4?
 
Outdoorbandit said:
He will have to pay it all. If you don't pay restitution in full they issue a warrant for contempt of court. Every month he misses a payment that next month he will have a warrant for his arrest.
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Yes. This is correct. And with him being on probation for two years, 365 days in Denton county jail suspended, he does not want to miss a payment.

Here are some court records that I found. This does not mention the $53,000 restitution. That fine is levied by and paid to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. It looks like he is trying to get his hunting equipment back if you look at the motion on 1-24-18 for "Return of Seized Evidence". I the hope the "Order Granting" on 1-25-18 does not mean they gave him his stuff back.

He will not get the antlers back. The antlers will go on the TPWD "Wall of Shame" exhibit.

Operation Game Thief is the Texas Parks and Wildlife crime stoppers program. The "Wall of Shame" are confiscated animals taken from convicted poachers.

https://www.ogttx.org/wall-of-shame/

Dispositions
01/22/2018
Plea (Judicial Officer: Waddill, Coby)
1. HUNTING PROVISIONS VIOLATION
Nolo Contendere

01/22/2018
Disposition (Judicial Officer: Waddill, Coby)
1. HUNTING PROVISIONS VIOLATION
Judgment of Community Supervision

01/22/2018
Probation (Judicial Officer: Waddill, Coby)
1. HUNTING PROVISIONS VIOLATION
CSCD 24 Months with Community Service of 40 Hours
Confinement to Commence 01/22/2018
365 Days , County Jail, Denton County Jail, Suspended 365 Days
Fee Totals:
Court Costs $144.00
Fine $0.00
Administrative Transaction Fee $2.00
Consolidated Court Costs $83.00
Fee Totals $ $229.00

OTHER EVENTS AND HEARINGS
12/11/2017 Complaint and Information (OCA)
12/11/2017 Affidavit for Arrest Warrant
12/11/2017 Request
for Summons
12/11/2017 Summons Issued
12/11/2017
Summons
Johnson, Travis D
Served 12/13/2017
Returned 12/13/2017
12/12/2017 Letter of Representation
12/12/2017 Request Art. 39.14
12/12/2017 Request Pursuant to Rule 404(b) and 609(f)
01/22/2018 CANCELED Arraignment hearing (2:00 PM) (Judicial Officer Waddill, Coby)
Case Disposed
01/22/2018 Trial Court's Certification of Defendant's Right of Appeal
01/22/2018 Discovery Stipulation
01/22/2018 Bill of Costs
01/24/2018 Motion
for Return of Seized Evidence
01/25/2018 Order Granting
Mot. for Return of Seized Evidence
 
So what happens if he doesn't pay, goes back to jail. Does the jail time pay the fine or just delay him paying it back? I am curious how that works.
 
Oct-Lull said:
So what happens if he doesn't pay, goes back to jail. Does the jail time pay the fine or just delay him paying it back? I am curious how that works.
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Unfortunately I know how it worked in Dallas in 1993. (lived there for year and a half when I was 21)I had 2 traffic tickets totaling $850. Didn't pay them and a cop randomly ran my plates one night while I stopped at Seven Eleven for a 6 pack. I was arrested, booked, and offered to either pay the fines or sit in jail for a credit of $50 a day. I would guess it's quite the same today.
 
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I think he will pay. He has a very successful plumbing business in Aubrey, Texas. He has four kids and a wife to support.

I heard he had a well known lawyer that negotiated the plea bargain. The state was ready and armed with evidence to hit him hard if it went to trial.

Get this......The name of his plumbing company is True Integrity Plumbing.....SMH.

I got to read the Affidavit of Probable Cause this evening. It is hard as heck to read (very pix-elated) but it is interesting and told pretty much the whole story.

Here is a link to the thread if you want to read it. 4th post on page 5. Get a magnifying glass or some reading glasses.

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/7053236/5/Denton_Poacher_Sentenced
 
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