Public Asked to Protect Breeding Bucks from Poachers

Hunting season regulations vary widely among states concerning the rut. Although most hunters relish this brief window of big buck lustful insanity, some states protect breeding animals from the harvest to assure their genes are passed along to future generations. New Mexico is one state where poachers take advantage of the rut to carry out their sinister plans. This post from Ammoland describes the grizzly details and what’s being done about it.

The Department of Game and Fish is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying poachers preying upon big bucks during the ongoing mule deer breeding season.

“Bucks in the rut are easy targets for opportunistic poachers,” said Bobby Griego, colonel of Field Operations for the department. “We’re asking the public to keep an eye out for our wildlife and report any suspicious activity.”

The mule deer breeding season in northern New Mexico is in full swing and deer can be found congregating in easily accessible areas where wildlife watchers, photographers and others can observe them. It is also the time of year that game wardens find many illegally slain bucks minus their heads and antlers — rotting by the roadside… [continued]

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