Five Mule Deer Bucks Found Wasted Near Homedale Airport

Fish and Game is asking the public for information regarding five mule deer bucks found wasted near the Homedale Airport. Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) is offering a reward for information in the case and callers may remain anonymous. Contact CAP at 1-800-632-5999 twenty four hours a day. The hides, heads and carcasses were discovered October 17 along a rural road near a popular fishing area on the Snake River. About half of the meat required to be salvaged by Idaho law was left to rot. None of the shoulder meat was taken from any of the deer, and much of the other choice meat was also left to rot. Fish and Game conservation officer Craig Mickelson is very interested in visiting with anyone with knowledge of the incident. "Someone harvested these deer, skinned them, cut the antlers off most of the skulls and did not salvage all the edible meat as required by law," Mickelson said. "We'd sure like to know who went through all this effort just to waste these deer." Hunters are required to remove and care for the edible meat of big game animals, except black bears, mountain lions and gray wolves. This includes the meat from the hind quarters as far down as the hock, meat of the front quarters as far downs as the knee and meat along the backbone which is the loin and tenderloin. In addition to the CAP hotline, anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Senior Conservation Officer Craig Mickelson at 208-465-8465 or the Fish and Game Nampa office at 208-465-8465.