....landowner on his daily kubota travels found a bloody drag trail leading out of the state ground to the south of our main property (where RD is). This ground is 100% no hunting so this must be one of two things: neighbor had one run onto the property or someone trespassed and poached it illegally (it being whatever left the blood....hopefully a deer now that I think about it). The awesome thing is the inside the state ground about 20 yards we were given permission to operate a trail camera so long as ALL pictures are accessible to the DNR at the drop of an email or request....so DNR has been informed of possible (nothing confirmed) issue and camera is being checked by pops. He called and said the camera was still there and had pictures on it but he doesn't have computer or camera to check card until he gets home... Needless to say it's the first gut twist we all know when we possibly have to deal with this crap around our hunting spots.... We shall see, could be nothing, and hopefully is, but I hate this stuff even entering the thoughts because it seriously twists my stomach into knots.... ****UPDATE 1***** Well fellas looks like DNR is gonna be getting some pictures sent to them. The camera caught someone hunting the state ground going in and out with bow fully camouflaged on two different days. Pops said face is clear as day and they will easily be able to match the face to the person...we are 99.9% sure of the guilty party. DNR is being contacted...I am not going to post the photos yet, until the DNR gets them and I make sure it is legal to do so. Will keep you updated with more. Oh and no picture of a deer being drug out....that must have happened if it did off camera....so if one was killed we have no way of knowing if RD or a doe or another buck. Gut twisting more...but also some happiness in me that we caught the idiot. *****UPDATE A DOOZY******* Okay so we 100% found out who it was and have a confirmed ID from sadly a good friend of mine who this is a lifelong friend of his who is an acquaintance with the problem neighbors. I knew when pop's sent me the photo it wasn't the neighbor's 20 something kid like I thought...but my softball and church friend would know because he grew up with them sadly....well he did and for about 2 hours couldn't figure out what to do about giving me his name and just kept saying "he's a lifelong friend". Well that's when FAcebook came in handy, I knew I knew this guy and bam....in about 2 minutes I had a photo with him and my buddy and I called my buddy up and said his name....I get a confirmation and BAM, case hopefully is closed. DNR was given all 8 images of the guy on two days with bow in hand and camo on obviously illegally hunting, his facebook profile picture and the picture with my buddy along with the guys full name. I pretty much handed this one on a silver platter...now I just hope they make an example out of the guy because sadly he's not a guy I would have thought would do this...but the entire neighboring family would, hopefully they learn. I think in the meantime some decoy old cameras are gonna be set up in plain view now that they know we are watching and have live ones hung eye to keep an eye on them and the Sanctuary.
Rained today....pops couldn't locate the blood drag line....however landowner wasn't with him so who knows where it exited the woods and was spotted. More questions will be occurring no doubt. The DNR round here are awesome as you can tell with them working with us to run cameras but you do something even slightly illegal and the book will come down hard!
I would guess RD is in East Central Illinois by now with all the pressure. I will let you know when I see him.
You know honestly I in many a way hope this all pushes him into hiding till late December...he loves our turnips than and I like my odds. This is gonna turn into a fiasco no doubt....but I will set out there with the DNR in hopes of catching him if that is what it takes!
RD is that perfect 8 pointer you dream of (well I dream of) he has 10 plus inch brows and huge tine length and this is the third year I've been after him (at minimum 5 1/2 year old). HUGE UPDATE POSTED IN OP FELLAS....JAW DROPPED TONIGHT.
Yup exactly. Bitter sweet, but man I hope this scares the neighbors enough to stop doing all the suspected crap we all know they do but can't catch them all doing.
Honest question, what is the purpose of you running the camera on state ground only 20 yards inside the woods? To monitor deer or people?
After many suspected instances from both the landowner and ourselves of hunting occurring we reached out to the DNR and asked if we could run cameras on the property in hopes of catching the people, they approved and so we started. Trust me the DNR allows us to walk the place so long as no weapon is taken and we take NOTHING (not even a stone or stick) off the property....we've seen it and if the cameras were placed to scout deer the spots we have them are not the best. They are however the best to catch any potential law breakers. **added** Some of these occurrences have been bloody drag lines coming out of the state ground, dead deer found in the fields with just the head or antlers removed...neighboring landowners having a confirmed (some convicted) habit of illegal activity in and outside hunting.
