A California poaching suspect was arrested after authorities discovered a total of 931 black bass, deer antlers, and suspected deer and bear meat. The arrest occurred on September 24, following a months-long investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). According to the CDFW, a wildlife officer had identified a suspect linked to multiple poaching incidents. The officer gathered evidence that suggested the suspect illegally harvested several deer without a hunting license or deer tags, took deer out of season, and included does and spike bucks that were not legally harvestable.
Search warrants were executed at two properties in Kern County, one in Bakersfield and another in Stallion Springs in the Tehachapi Mountains. At the Bakersfield property, agents found packages of suspected deer meat, packaged bear meat, 931 black bass, and six sets of deer antlers.
The suspect has been booked into Kern County Jail and faces multiple charges, including unlawful possession of deer, unlawful take of deer, and exceeding the daily bag limit for fish and wildlife. Samples of the deer and bear meat, along with the antlers, have been sent to CDFW’s Wildlife Forensics Lab for DNA analysis to determine the sex and genetic profile of each sample. This information will help establish the number of deer and bear the suspect possessed.
The arrests coincided with another incident on September 25, where three individuals were apprehended in Angeles National Forest for illegally hunting deer. Officers received tips about illegal deer hunting in Los Angeles County and conducted targeted night patrols. During the patrols, officers observed two vehicles off-roading and using a spotlight, which is an illegal hunting method. Upon stopping the vehicles, officers noticed blood on the suspects’ clothing and hands, leading to a further investigation that uncovered firearms and two female deer, one of which had been completely skinned.