Poaching What
By marcyaz
@Marcyaz (35316)
United States
April 14, 2016 8:17am CST
14 deer heads were found in a park near my city.
A DNR officer said each of the heads was from a male white-tailed deer who had their antlers cut off.
There didn't seem to be any doe involved.
If you know anything about this contact the DNR Wildlife Office in Minnesota.
I wonder what they will do with antlers from the deer and why kill them?
31 people like this
33 responses
@celticeagle (164045)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Apr 16
Sounds like this is along the same lines as why elephants are killed for their tusks. Ugh!
3 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@celticeagle
It does sound that way and Ugh is right. I hate the thought of it.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@Mike197602
Killing is killing whether an elephant or a deer.
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15506)
• United Kingdom
14 Apr 16
@Marcyaz elephants aren't eaten.
I think this is utterly different.
1 person likes this
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@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
14 Apr 16
Deer antlers are used in decorative things such as lamps, furniture and trophies. why kill them? You can't get the antlers w/o that.
3 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
15 Apr 16
Yes, but if they only found the heads, then they were probably hunted for the food, and the antlers were taken as trophies. Also, since no doe were found, that suggests that it was hunters who did it, because the does have the babies.
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
15 Apr 16
@purplealabaster ah, well I fell less horrible if it appears the meat was taken
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
15 Apr 16
@Jessicalynnt Hunting out of season is not right, but I don't think it is horrible when done for food.
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@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
14 Apr 16
If they were just the deer heads without the bodies, then they probably killed them for food and took the antlers as trophies.
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@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@Mike197602
I don't understand why anyone would want to kill a poor deer.
2 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@purplealabaster
If they were so hungry they should have gone to a store and bought some food.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15506)
• United Kingdom
14 Apr 16
@Marcyaz and they'd have bought meat that has been killed.
What's your actual issue?
Is it the killing of the deer or the fact that they've killed out of season?
2 people like this
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@jaboUK (64355)
• United Kingdom
14 Apr 16
As @purplealabaster has said, they most likely killed them for food.
3 people like this
@Mike197602 (15506)
• United Kingdom
14 Apr 16
Where were the bodies or were they not found?
If the bodies weren't found then I agree with purple in that they were killed for the venison and the antlers taken as trophies or to sell.
I very very much doubt they were killed purely for their antlers...it's actually good that they are using as much of the deer as they can.
2 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@Mike197602
I'm afraid I don't look at it that way they are killers pure and simple and then to cut off their antlers and since it is not deer season now they should be found and sent to jail.
3 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
15 Apr 16
@Mike197602 @Marcyaz I am not an expert, and it may vary from state to state, but I do not think that you go to jail for hunting out of season unless there are other violations as well. I think that if you are caught hunting out of season, then you get a fine. If you are caught more than once, then you might not be eligible for tags the following year, although the tag thing I am not sure about. I do know of someone that was not eligible for tags, and I think it was for hunting out of season, but again I am not sure.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15506)
• United Kingdom
14 Apr 16
@Marcyaz Do you eat meat?
I do so I'm a killer in a way...not a direct killer so as far as I see I'd be hypocritical to condemn someone for hunting.
The deer season and the laws around that are a somewhat different issue as I don't know about that and you didn't mention that fact in your original post.
Yes, I'd agree they should be jailed for hunting out of season.
But I don't see the problem with them taking antlers when they've killed the beast already and, from what I see, taken the body to cut up for meat.
As far as I'm concerned anyone that hunts and uses the whole animal is ok by me.
As I said, hunting out of season is another issue in my opinion.
1 person likes this
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@polyxena (2628)
• Sturgis, Michigan
14 Apr 16
I find that really odd and depressing. I don't hunt or think I could do it. But my thought has always been, if someone's hunting an animal they should use all they can for example the meat for dinner. But to have them to remove just the antlers is a bit odd to me.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
15 Apr 16
@polyxena The fact that they only found the heads suggests that they did in fact use all the deer. They took the bodies for the meat and possibly the hide and the antlers for trophies. The head is useless unless they mount it with the antlers, so that was the only part that was left.
1 person likes this
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@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@Mike197602
Not at all I just think this was completely wrong.
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@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
14 Apr 16
people collect the most horrible things, esp with all that waste! I dont like trophy hunting, you had best EAT your kills.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
15 Apr 16
But that is the thing ... only the heads were found. That suggests that the deer were killed for the food and the antlers were just the trophy. If the entire deer was found, then that would be a completely different story.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
14 Apr 16
These are some sick people that did this @Marcyaz . How cruel and mean. I hope they catch those creeps.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@nanette64
Yes they are sick and it is definitely cruel. I cannot understand people like this.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
15 Apr 16
@Marcyaz Me either and there's too dang many of them.
@tuttiharris (1338)
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
15 Apr 16
This is so sad. I love these beautiful animals. We have a lot around us, and down at our church, we have about 20 to 30 that come out of the woods to eat and play in the evenings, and I sit down there and take pictures. They are not afraid of us. We also have them in our backyards over here where we live, at the foot of Lookout Mt. and they love to come and eat out of our gardens, and we try to stop them from doing that, but sometimes it is impossible, but we do not harm them. They are beautiful. I hope they find the ones that did this to them.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
16 Apr 16
@tuttiharris
Ah thank you my friend, they are such beauties I can't understand the people who hunt them.
@tuttiharris (1338)
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
15 Apr 16
@Marcyaz I understand what you are saying. They are beautiful. Love to you my friend.
1 person likes this
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@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
14 Apr 16
How horrible, I hope those involved get caught.
2 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@fishtiger58
It is horrible just thinking about it, I hope they find and prosecute them.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
15 Apr 16
They would not need to label the meat as beef or lamb, because venison is eaten in the US quite often.
2 people like this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
14 Apr 16
Sickening ....., I hope they catch who did it.....
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
14 Apr 16
@sueznewz2
It is sickening and I hope they catch them also.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40219)
• Laguna Woods, California
15 Apr 16
How interesting that they were found in a park. Wonder what they were doing there ... and why their antlers were cut off.
1 person likes this
@destimona (1910)
• Luxembourg, Luxembourg
15 Apr 16
for food or for decorations.
1 person likes this
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