Public's Help Sought in Possible Trophy Mule Deer Poaching Case
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A trophy mule deer and a distinctive vehicle are two pieces of a possible poaching case that the public can play a critical role is solving. Two male suspects are thought to have poached the trophy buck in Owyhee County, and possibly transported the animal across state lines.
Idaho Fish and Game investigators working the potential poaching case are appealing to the public for critical information that might crack the case wide open. Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) is offering a reward for information in the case and callers can remain anonymous. Contact CAP at 1-800-632-5999 twenty four hours a day.
The vehicle associated with the investigation is a newer model, tan-colored Ford Raptor pickup. The suspects were documented fueling the vehicle at the Interstate 84 Stage Stop gas station east of Boise at approximately 2:45pm on Monday, November 3rd. The trophy buck caught the attention of other Stage Stop patrons, several of which engaged the two suspects in conversation. Later that same day, both men and the vehicle were spotted in the Idaho Falls area.
The suspects and the vehicle - which at the time sported only a temporary license plate - are thought to be from out of state. "We know that several people engaged in conversation with the suspects that day in the Stage Stop parking lot," Fish and Game investigator Kurt Stieglitz said. "I'd really like to visit with anyone who spoke with either suspect or observed the deer in this distinctive vehicle."
In addition to the CAP hotline, persons with information regarding this case may also contact the Fish and Game Nampa office at 208-465-8465 weekdays and Idaho State Police at 208-846-7550 on weekends.