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UPDATED - Trophy buck illegally shot in Minnesota
  
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By Rob Drieslein
Managing Editor
St. Paul - Minnesota conservation officers last week seized a record- book deer rack and on Thursday morning filed poaching charges against a man from Cannon Falls, Minn., in the case.
The Minnesota DNR investigation stemmed from an incident where three deer, including a trophy 8-point buck, were killed by archery in three separate incidents near Cannon Falls in October.
According to the complaint, Troy Alan Reinke, 32, admitted to conservation officers that he had shot a small doe and a small buck on separate dates in early October, and failed to tag or register either of the deer. Reinke said he shot the large 8-point buck, with a 185 net green score, on Halloween evening.
Case details
Maj. Rod Smith, DNR Enforcement operations manager, told Outdoor News that Reinke had been charged with a total of 13 counts. At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Smith read a statement thoroughly explaining how the case came together.
“On Nov 5, DNR Conservation Officer Tyler Quandt from Red Wing and Conservation Officer Kevin Prodzinski from Zumbrota, working from several calls from concerned citizens, investigated a complaint of a possible big-game violation in Goodhue County.
“During their investigation, suspect Troy Alan Reinke of Cannon Falls admitted to taking three white-tailed deer during the archery season using archery equipment.”
The first, Smith said, was a small doe, the second a small 8-point buck – both in early October on different dates. Reinke took the third animal, the massive 8-pointer, on the evening of Oct. 31.
“Mr. Reinke told the conservation officers that he did not tag or register the first two deer and that he brought them home and processed them himself,” Smith said in his statement. “He did tag the trophy buck and registered it in Cannon Falls.”
Reinke had purchased a resident archery tag that allowed him to harvest one deer of either sex.
On Nov. 5, the conservation officers seized the bow that Reinke used to take all three deer, the meat from all three, and the skull plates and attached rack from both bucks, and the cape of the larger 8-pointer, Smith said.
Reinke was charged Thursday morning, Nov. 12, by the Goodhue County Attorney’s Office with the following 13 counts, Smith said.
• Two counts of gross misdemeanor, transport of illegally taken big-game animals;
• One count, gross overlimit of wild animals;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, failure to register deer;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, failure to validate a deer license;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, untagged big-game animal;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, take overlimit of deer, and;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, take or hunt deer without a license.
Restitution for the small buck and doe is $500 each. Restitution for
the trophy buck is $1,000.
Reinke also could have his hunting privileges revoked for three years if convicted. A trial date has not been set.
Smith said that as with all poaching cases, the DNR and Goodhue County Attorney’s Office were thorough in their investigation to ensure the case was properly charged.
“If there’s some good new from this incident, it’s that the charges are a result of concerned outdoorsmen and women who reported a possible poaching violation,” Smith said.
Monster of a buck
In a brief interview with Outdoor News on Thursday, Chuck Corcoran, the Hampton, Minn., taxidermist who handled the deer for Reinke, called the buck “breathtaking.” Corcoran, who’d been fielding media phone calls all day, said the buck field-dressed at 269 pounds.
“And it’s just a rack you’ve got to see to believe,” he said.
A small kicker point on the rack’s left side was the only scoring deduction on the very symmetrical rack, Corcoran said.
Outdoors enthusiasts around the country have seen images of the deer circulating on the Internet in recent days. Maj. Smith said another DNR Enforcement official had spoken with staffers at the Montana-based Boone & Crockett Club and confirmed that the rack likely could be a world-record rack for an 8-point deer.
“We understand that a Michigan 8-pointer scored about 183,” Smith said. “We also understand that if (Reinke) is convicted and the state retains the deer, the state can then enter the rack with Boone and Crockett, and the club will recognize it.”
Smith said the scoring form for the deer reported an inside spread of 263⁄8 inches with a gross score of 1905⁄8 inches and net green score of 185 even.
“It’s a beast,” he said.
The Minnesota DNR investigation stemmed from an incident where three deer, including a trophy 8-point buck, were killed by archery in three separate incidents near Cannon Falls in October.
According to the complaint, Troy Alan Reinke, 32, admitted to conservation officers that he had shot a small doe and a small buck on separate dates in early October, and failed to tag or register either of the deer. Reinke said he shot the large 8-point buck, with a 185 net green score, on Halloween evening.
Case details
Maj. Rod Smith, DNR Enforcement operations manager, told Outdoor News that Reinke had been charged with a total of 13 counts. At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Smith read a statement thoroughly explaining how the case came together.
“On Nov 5, DNR Conservation Officer Tyler Quandt from Red Wing and Conservation Officer Kevin Prodzinski from Zumbrota, working from several calls from concerned citizens, investigated a complaint of a possible big-game violation in Goodhue County.
“During their investigation, suspect Troy Alan Reinke of Cannon Falls admitted to taking three white-tailed deer during the archery season using archery equipment.”
The first, Smith said, was a small doe, the second a small 8-point buck – both in early October on different dates. Reinke took the third animal, the massive 8-pointer, on the evening of Oct. 31.
“Mr. Reinke told the conservation officers that he did not tag or register the first two deer and that he brought them home and processed them himself,” Smith said in his statement. “He did tag the trophy buck and registered it in Cannon Falls.”
Reinke had purchased a resident archery tag that allowed him to harvest one deer of either sex.
On Nov. 5, the conservation officers seized the bow that Reinke used to take all three deer, the meat from all three, and the skull plates and attached rack from both bucks, and the cape of the larger 8-pointer, Smith said.
Reinke was charged Thursday morning, Nov. 12, by the Goodhue County Attorney’s Office with the following 13 counts, Smith said.
• Two counts of gross misdemeanor, transport of illegally taken big-game animals;
• One count, gross overlimit of wild animals;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, failure to register deer;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, failure to validate a deer license;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, untagged big-game animal;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, take overlimit of deer, and;
• Two counts, misdemeanor, take or hunt deer without a license.
Restitution for the small buck and doe is $500 each. Restitution for
the trophy buck is $1,000.
Reinke also could have his hunting privileges revoked for three years if convicted. A trial date has not been set.
Smith said that as with all poaching cases, the DNR and Goodhue County Attorney’s Office were thorough in their investigation to ensure the case was properly charged.
“If there’s some good new from this incident, it’s that the charges are a result of concerned outdoorsmen and women who reported a possible poaching violation,” Smith said.
Monster of a buck
In a brief interview with Outdoor News on Thursday, Chuck Corcoran, the Hampton, Minn., taxidermist who handled the deer for Reinke, called the buck “breathtaking.” Corcoran, who’d been fielding media phone calls all day, said the buck field-dressed at 269 pounds.
“And it’s just a rack you’ve got to see to believe,” he said.
A small kicker point on the rack’s left side was the only scoring deduction on the very symmetrical rack, Corcoran said.
Outdoors enthusiasts around the country have seen images of the deer circulating on the Internet in recent days. Maj. Smith said another DNR Enforcement official had spoken with staffers at the Montana-based Boone & Crockett Club and confirmed that the rack likely could be a world-record rack for an 8-point deer.
“We understand that a Michigan 8-pointer scored about 183,” Smith said. “We also understand that if (Reinke) is convicted and the state retains the deer, the state can then enter the rack with Boone and Crockett, and the club will recognize it.”
Smith said the scoring form for the deer reported an inside spread of 263⁄8 inches with a gross score of 1905⁄8 inches and net green score of 185 even.
“It’s a beast,” he said.
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of outdoornews.com.
LeRoy wrote on Nov 13, 2009 6:31 PM:
" It is truly a shame that an animal of this caliber is taken in our great state by someone with so little integrity and sportsmanship. Unfortunately, it tarnishes the likely record and does not reflect well on sportsman in general. It would be great if someone who was more deserving, could have taken the deer. "
Denton Williams wrote on Nov 18, 2009 8:11 PM:
" I am 55 years old The Laws on illegally taking of any type of animal are not Harsh enough . I live in Missouri and hope they throw the book at such a blatant and uncivilized character. He has taken this Magnificient animal with no remorse . To His fellow hunters. I for one am appaled by his actions. "
bob wrote on Dec 3, 2009 8:27 AM:
" BL Pemberton, you are a moron. "poaching is caused by gamelimits" What are you talking about. Well, I guess, if there were no limits, there would be no poaching- of course, there would be no animals either, but maybe you think that is alright. You sound like a backwoods idiot and you give sportspersons a bad name. Stay out of my woods. "
Tom from Michigan wrote on Dec 3, 2009 10:08 AM:
" "underhanded actions by wardens" What are you talking about BL Pemberton. I can't believe the webstaff would let your ignorant comment get posted. "underhanded actions" like doing their jobs and catching this poacher? "Asinine gamelimits" are the cause of poaching? The law is the law, and if you want to call yourself a sportsperson and be eligible for recognition for taking a magnificent trophy, then you will follow the rules. I can guarantee that this is not the first time this punk had poached deer in MN, its just the first time he got caught. Good job to the people that turned him in, and Good job to the conservation officers that did their job. I hope he gets prosecuted to the fullest. "
MN hunter wrote on Dec 15, 2009 4:12 PM:
" Right on Tom from Michigan, who knows how many illegal activities this sorry low-life has done or has attempted, other then the list of previous illegal fines and ticket he had gotten in the past. "
Dorell wrote on Dec 26, 2009 5:41 AM:
" I agree, Lee Pemberton is a moron, on the other hand I bet any one you that are commenting on this have bent the rules just a little bit, you know like your buddy making that 150 mile shot from work. It's just that no one turned you in because what happens in deer camp is suppose to stay in deer camp. The bigger dummy is Troy for not tagging the deer like he was suppose to, or giving them to some one who would tag them. "
B. Lee Pemberton wrote on Nov 13, 2009 12:33 PM: