Pennsylvania Game News- June 2009 - 15

didn’t take long for me to find the stand location and bait pile. There was grain spread out on the ground and an empty treestand overlooking it. It was obvious from the sign that deer were visiting regularly. Discouraged that nobody was there and wondering if we had spooked off the individuals responsible for the bait, I collected some evidence and continued walking the field edge. I didn’t walk more than 50 yards before my portable radio crackled. Jeremy informed me that he had found the other location and that there were two individuals present. I jogged my way over, with thoughts racing through my mind: Were they the targets of my information, or were they unaware hunters who stumbled into the area? When I arrived I noticed two individuals in camo and archery gear lying on the ground along the woods. Jeremy came over and told me an 8-point buck was hidden in the weeds at the edge of the woods. Apparently, when Jeremy engaged these two individuals, Bo and Luke, they were standing over the deer when they spotted him and walked away, thinking Jeremy hadn’t seen the deer. After I introduced myself I realized that I knew both individuals from previous interactions at a local deer processor’s in the Boynton area. I explained to them why we were there. Initially, both Bo and Luke had no knowledge of anything. They claimed they had been hunting for deer and that Luke shot the 8-point and they were in the process of getting it out when Deputy Coughenour came upon them. I asked Luke why he didn’t tag the buck. Luke said he was excited about shooting it and didn’t give it a thought. While I was speaking with both hunters Jeremy was looking around. It didn’t take long for him to give me the “come here I found something” look. When I walked over he pointed out two treestands in the same tree, 20 yards into the woods, with a pile of apples and grain nearby. I asked Bo and Luke to walk with JUNE 2009 us to the treestand. With the overwhelming evidence at hand, they decided to confess and tell us the events that had taken place that morning. Apparently, both hunters had taken their climbing stands and placed them in the same tree. The purpose of this was for one to video the hunt while the other shot. Upon hearing this I asked if they actually did video the morning hunt. Bo said he did and took out his camera and played the video for me. It showed in detail the 8-point standing in the middle of the bait pile, eight yards away, and Luke delivering an arrow behind the shoulder. There were saplings on both sides of the bait, with a shooting lane three feet wide where the bait was placed. The deer ran a good ways farther in the woods. They tracked it and then dragged it back into the field, where Deputy Coughenour found them. I instructed both hunters to gather their gear and meet us at the deer processor’s in Boynton. That is where they were planning on taking the deer when they were discovered. While they were gathering their gear I asked Bo for the videotape. He opened his camera and handed it to me. After Jeremy and I processed the crime scene by taking measurements, gathering bait samples and taking photos, we arrived at the deer processor. The owner, who we’ll call Uncle Jessie, is related to Bo and Luke, and was standing on the porch with them. In the haste of the morning’s events I forgot to attach my deer rack to my vehicle, so I phoned PGC Law Enforcement Supervisor John Smith, who was aware of the morning events and lives near the area where the violation took place. John said he would come over with his deer rack on his truck. John met us at Uncle Jesse’s shop and we loaded the deer. After confirming Bo and Luke’s information, 15 whitherite.pmd 15 04/27/2009, 9:17 AM

Pennsylvania Game News- June 2009

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