Big Deer Blog

In a 2012-2013 killing spree that investigators dubbed the “Headless Deer Case,” Garret Victor James Elsburg, 25, was suspected of killing dozens of bucks, decapitating them and leaving their bodies to rot. Washington Fish and Wildlife officers were able to confiscate some of the heads, match them to the carcasses and eventually bust Elsburg. Like many criminals Elsburg was a braggart, and that helped to get him caught. He apparently posted many pictures of himself holding the severed deer heads on Facebook and other sites.  In one photo he wore a T-shirt reading “Damn I’m Good” while smiling and hoisting the head of a trophy mule deer. “These were the most flagrant acts of poaching in my 25 years as a game [...]

From the US Sportsmen’s Alliance: A bill being considered in the Rhode Island legislature would make hunting for deer on private land without permission a felony level offense. …House Bill 7858 would also require jail time (up to two years) for anyone who hunts deer on private land without written permission. The state’s Department of Environmental Management and Rhode Island sportsmen’s clubs have testified against the bill as being “unnecessary and excessively punitive.” I agree. While I hate those who knowingly trespass and poach as much as anybody this bill has the potential for trouble. You know how difficult it can be to determine exact property lines in the woods. Some (most) are not clearly marked and/or posted. Suppose you [...]