Two West Wendover men were charged with deer poaching over the weekend thanks to the efforts of a vigilant game warden.

Joe Doucette, conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, said Richard George Moore, 39, and Michael Ray Gunter, 45, were arrested by a game warden after the warden saw the two men shoot a mule deer buck in hunt unit 077 in the Pequop Mountains east of Wells.

Doucette said although one of the men had an archery tag, the 26-inch, four-point mule deer buck was shot with a rifle. As a result of the investigation, a bolt-action rifle, optics and a 1996 Dodge Ram pickup truck were confiscated along with the illegally killed deer.

The two men were each booked into the Elko County Jail on possession of a poached deer, and their bail was $2,500 each for gross misdemeanors. However, Doucette said the department of wildlife plans to pursue felony charges under state statutes. The felony charge is “felony killing and conspiracy to kill a mule deer buck by a method other than the method prescribed by the (department of wildlife) for hunting that animal.”

Doucette said it “doesn’t happen that often” that a warden is able to catch a hunter in the act of illegally killing an animal. In popular hunt areas in strategic parts of the season, wardens will go to high points in the terrain and watch hunters and their parties’ activities.

“They just get up there and glass,” Doucette said.

Good, I hope they throw the book at them.

To be honest, while I totally favor arresting (and jailing) illegal big game hunters in our country)this really seems rather small "potatoes" (technically) C'mon! A rifle instead of a bow , so he'll do time? Wonderful! Where are the arrests of the truck deer jackers operating at night? I grew up in a deer jacking community in NY back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (and apparently still do) and I know full well that deer jackers are far more sophisticated that those dolts who were caught . Deer jacking is as serious a business in America as bootlegging used to be - and I ain't exaggerating. Fact. (Ask any conservation officer in any state {I say "conservation officer" because that's the politically correct term nowadays -I'm old enough to remember when we said "gamewarden")

Give them a fair trial and throw the book at them!!!!

I hopt NDOW throws the book at them. There has been a rash of that in the last few years.

In 06 up on Hinkey Summit in Paradise valley, someone killed 1 or 2 trophy big horn sheep and took just the heads. Last year, just east of Sparks, someone killed 3 pronghorns just for kicks. Just a month ago, someone killed a nice muley and a pronghorn just for the hack of it.

I wouldn't hesitate for a second to turn someone in for poaching. I have caught people fishing illegally on the Truckee River and turned them in. Best part of that one was that the regs were posted 30 feet in front of their vehicle where they parked. 1 went to jail. I have no sympathy for them.

Tony

Not a big fan of poachers, but I would urge some leniency when someone has a license, a tag (although archery), and is in season. A 5 year ban on hunting, hefty fine, and 2 years of conservation work would probably do assuming they have no priors. We shall see.