ST. ALBANS, Maine — Poachers killed at least two deer on Monday evening, leaving one to rot and dragging the other out of a field, according to a Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife official.
Doug Rafferty, the DIF&W’s director of information and education, said the deer were killed in a field off Snow Road in St. Albans between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday. Legal shooting hours — a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset — on Monday stretched from 5:49 a.m. until 4:48 p.m.
A hunter found the adult deer that was not recovered on Tuesday morning and reported it to the Maine Warden Service.
Rafferty said drag marks from the field to the road, along with a blood trail, indicated that at least one more deer had been shot and killed.
“This is just another case of somebody basically stealing from [hunters] who are trying to do it right,” Rafferty said.
Game Warden Jonathan Parker is the investigating officer on the case. Rafferty said anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Warden Service through the Maine State Police, or to call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-ALERT-US. Tips passed along to Operation Game Thief can be handled anonymously.
Rafferty said the Maine Warden Service has been actively pursuing many leads on other cases that have been reported on the tip line.
“That sucker’s been humming this year,” Rafferty said of Operation Game Thief. “We’ve got a lot of information coming in, and I’m not afraid to tell you that.”
There seems to be an abundance of this going on. It’s disgusting.
Too bad some wardens are too busy acting in a tv show instead of being actively out there trying to apprehend them.
Not the case at all! They respond to all calls they receive and the filming crew comes along. Know the facts before making a silly statement like that.
These fine men and women are dedicated individuals who work 24-hours a day regardless of the weather or conditions. Want to change places with them the next time they get an overnight call to search for a missing person when the temps are below freezing? Didn’t think so.
P.S. – they are not acting, real life crap you see there. Survivor, Dancing with the Stars and all the other crap you watch is acting:)
On the whole wardens are remarkable people doing an impossible job. There are simply not enough of them to go around. I’m thinking the TV show ruined the impression of them for alot of people. The show is a joke, you have to admit……
We don’t have a television. When I was traveling last year I got a chance to watch that show on the hotel television. The wardens were catching people preparing to shoot from a vehicle on some dirt road here in the state. As I recall at least one warden was hiding in the tall grass beside this road, and would pop up once the subject raised their gun inside the vehicle. I just could not believe that this is a safe practice, all it takes is one jumpy individual to swing their barrel and unload a round or two. Not the kind of publicity I would want for our state.
Do people read here? I didn’t slam the wardens. THe show is trashy and sensational. They pick and choose what will make for “good tv”.
People selectively read and make silly assumptions.
No wonder some people are ‘guests’.
I don’t watch reality tv or dancing with the stars, fyi.
You do know that Parker the warden investigating is on that show right? I also know that the wardens on that show aren’t doing the show every second, they are actually out doing their jobs, the camera guys are just taggin along.
OH NO!! Look at all that meat going to waist!!! ='[
I wasn’t slamming wardens. The show is trashy and stupid.
It’s a Jerry Springer show fest.
They need to spend their time on real stuff, there’s plenty of it.
Eerily similar to the poached deer in Ripley a few weeks ago…and not a lot of miles between the two locations, if I remember my geography of that area of Maine correctly…
It is a shame to see such an act when we have people in our state and country going hungry right now. I hope they catch them and donate the deer they took to charity.
A beautiful creature ~ dead for no good reason. I lose sleep over sleep over thing like this because I can’t do anything to stop it. Segments of the human race area complete disgrace.
Right on…some people should not be amongst us
It sickens me that there are so many cruel animal killers in this world.
Kids being kids.
unfortunately it may be a sign of the times people got to eat,with 0 job growth and high gas and heating fuel and wood prices so high could make someone to do things they normally would not even consider.
I really don’t understand this behavior. What is the point of this? There has to be something wrong with someone if they’re just killing things for fun…. Makes you wonder what they are really capable of!
poachers are doing more damage than coyotes . Poaching is rampant.
the trashing seems to be coming from you to guest.
What a waste. Some people shouldn’t own a gun.
i hate poachers but if you trying to feed your satrving family i feel you should be able to shoot a deer. but dont shoot one and leave it to rot.
Poaching is just plain fun.