ID: Two Men Have Hunting Licenses Revoked for Three Years After Poaching Mule Deer Buck in Custer County

Two Men Have Hunting Licenses Revoked for Three Years After Poaching Mule Deer Buck in Custer County | Idaho | bigcountrynewsconnection.com

04/18/2023

Two men have been sentenced after illegally poaching a mule deer buck in Custer County, ID last year. A call from a witness to Idaho’s poaching hotline helped officers detect and solve the crime.

According to the Idaho Fish & Game, the buck was illegally taken on Saturday, October 29 in Unit 36 near Rankin Creek, a tributary of the Yankee Fork Salmon River near Stanley, ID. The general deer season had closed five days prior on October 24.

The case began when a witness called Idaho’s Citizens Against Poaching Hotline on Sunday, October 30, reporting that he encountered two out-of-state hunters that had taken a large, 3-by-4 mule deer buck the previous day, according to a press release. The witness was able to provide critical details on the suspects, vehicle involved, and location of the incident.

With the information, IDFG conservation officers were able to locate the kill site where they collected DNA and found an unspent bullet dropped at the scene. The unspent bullet later helped confirm which of the two suspects was the shooter. Based on the witness description of the men and vehicle, officers were also able to narrow down a list of suspects.

Through investigations in Idaho and in California, the two suspects were identified as Carlos Rodrigues and Tony Solorio. Each of the suspects were interviewed and eventually confessed to taking the mule deer after the season had closed. Additionally, the shooter, identified Rodrigues, possessed a deer tag for Unit 39, and not a Unit 36 tag. The investigation also revealed that Rodriguez also took steps to cover it up by filing on his harvest report that he did not harvest.

After coordinating with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the two men were charged and recently appeared in Custer County Court.

As a result, Carlos Rodrigues received a three-year hunting license revocation and approximately $2,500 in fines. Tony Solorio also received a three-year hunting license revocation and $1,530 in fines.

“Without the witness providing critical details, this case would likely not have been detected, let alone, solved,” said Austin Dupuis, IDFG conservation officer based in Stanley. “License plate numbers are extremely important, as well as the location, time, and a description of the suspects.”

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