# Poached Camp Williams Buck?



## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Anybody else heard anything about a monster buck being poached out in the Camp Williams area? I got this in an Email. I guess the buck is now missing (which is strange for this buck) and they are thinking he may have been poached.

Here are the pics I got with the email.

All you photoshop pros please analyze the pi$$ out of this thing, I would love to know if its real! Looks to good to be real but if it is and its been poached I hope they catch the SOB's


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

It's real, the shadows all look correct. Couldn't the buck have just left the area for the rut? I see that happen all the time. I see a buck on my property for months then he's up and gone. Seems pretty normal, though I'm sure it's possible a poaching could have occurred. Seems hard if the buck really lived on Camp Williams though.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

man o man... wheew thats a stud. i hope he's just off cahsing the ladies...


BoOYaA,

Wasnt the "Freetos" buck from cw and poached also?


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## legacy (Sep 30, 2007)

Maybe the same scenario from a few years back ("The General")?


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## hockeyandhunting (Nov 26, 2007)

It is definitely real, I took the top photo. They have found 2 caped out carcasses in the area where this buck was last seen.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

hockeyandhunting said:


> It is definitely real, I took the top photo.


 :shock: Were you on Camp Williams ? Just a yes or no. No need to say where.


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## hockeyandhunting (Nov 26, 2007)

Al Hansen said:


> hockeyandhunting said:
> 
> 
> > It is definitely real, I took the top photo.
> ...


Yes, my father-in-law works security for Camp, and occasionally invites me out when he is looking for poachers.


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

****....THAT'S A HE!! OF A BUCK.


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## 2litl2l8 (Jan 16, 2008)

That is an amazing animal. Not condoning poaching, in fact any poacher should be prosecuted, but I understand why a person would poach a doe or a little forked horn, I can see how someone would poach a nice typical 4 point... but this, as soon as anyone sees this deer the dude is caught. Poaching is stupid but who ever did this is a freaking dumb ass. Enjoy hiding that rack in your basement for the next 50 years.


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## adamsoa (Oct 29, 2007)

I worked at range control on Camp Williams for quite a few years. Camp Williams is 
surrounded by private property. There really isnt much open water on the camp. Most of the animals have to travel off base for water on a regular basis. 
Each year on opening morning of the Rifle deer hunt it sounded like a fire fight on the borders. Many of the deer would be out in the winter wheat fields in the AM and get hammered. There were also a lot of hunters on the butterfield canyon side. 
I hope that someone got lucky and caught the big boy over on one of the private areas.

Andy


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

adamsoa said:


> I worked at range control on Camp Williams for quite a few years. Camp Williams is
> surrounded by private property. There really isnt much open water on the camp. Most of the animals have to travel off base for water on a regular basis.
> Each year on opening morning of the Rifle deer hunt it sounded like a fire fight on the borders. Many of the deer would be out in the winter wheat fields in the AM and get hammered. There were also a lot of hunters on the butterfield canyon side.
> I hope that someone got lucky and caught the big boy over on one of the private areas.
> ...


If that is the case.....I'd love to see a pic.....but of course, that is also a nice cover story!


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

hockeyandhunting said:


> Al Hansen said:
> 
> 
> > hockeyandhunting said:
> ...


Thank you.


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## crimson obsession (Sep 7, 2008)

*Re: Re: Poached Camp Williams Buck?*



hockeyandhunting said:


> It is definitely real, I took the top photo.


I work on Camp Williams and the last time I checked photography of ANY kind is strictly forbidden? Interesting that this "security" personnel would let you take a picture and post it online...


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

:roll: :roll: yup that's a top secret robo deer with nuclear capabilities.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

About ten years ago or so one of my best friends patrolled Camp Williams as a security officer. He said there were always people who hunted the fenceline, just waiting for a buck to cross. Apparently those guys had some success sometimes when the deer did cross the fence. He saw several guys with bucks down while he worked out there, even helped drag a couple to trucks after he'd made sure they were shot on the correct side of the fence.


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## zrider2 (Nov 6, 2010)

I have seen actual pics of the buck, and talked to the guy who took them. He said the dang thing isnt the least bit afraid of people. It very well could have been poached, sad day if it did!


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## COOPERD (Sep 16, 2007)

I work on Camp Williams and the last time I checked photography of ANY kind is strictly forbidden? Interesting that this "security" personnel would let you take a picture and post it onlineote][/quote]. BAD BOYS BAD BOYS what ya gonna do when the internet police come for you. :roll:


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

I have a hard time understanding how they would know that buck was poached unless they saw it untagged in the back of someones truck. I know that buck is pretty easy to distinguish from the majority of other bucks just because of its mass but seriously bucks disappear all the time. He is probably chasing the women, or maybe something happened to his water supply and he has been forced to find a new one.


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## Duckholla (Sep 24, 2007)

90redrider said:


> I have a hard time understanding how they would know that buck was poached unless they saw it untagged in the back of someones truck. I know that buck is pretty easy to distinguish from the majority of other bucks just because of its mass but seriously bucks disappear all the time. He is probably chasing the women, or maybe something happened to his water supply and he has been forced to find a new one.


It's interesting that you would say this. Without intending assumptions that you would ever be interested in poaching, I'd be curious as to how many times somebody thought, or even said something very similar to what you've said above right before they pulled the trigger on an animal, illegally, only to be caught later.

The investigation on any poaching incident is quite extensive, and nothing less than what is done in a homicide investigation for humans. Hair DNA, bullet examinations, drag marks, blood splatter etc...I think your comment above is what gets people in a lot of trouble. They think this way...assuming that nobody else will see them/find out.

90Rider - none of my comments are directed towards you personally. I just thought that what you said was ironic.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

From what I gather, this buck has followed the same routine for most of its life. It wasn't uncommon to go a few days here or there and not see it but its my understanding it hasn't been seen in a couple months.


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

Duckholla said:


> 90redrider said:
> 
> 
> > I have a hard time understanding how they would know that buck was poached unless they saw it untagged in the back of someones truck. I know that buck is pretty easy to distinguish from the majority of other bucks just because of its mass but seriously bucks disappear all the time. He is probably chasing the women, or maybe something happened to his water supply and he has been forced to find a new one.
> ...


I completely understand all of what you just said, but with all the hunts going on over the past few months what makes people think it was poached as opposed to it wandering into public land and being harvested legally. Other than the fact that if anyone on this network harvested this monster buck we would've seen pictures and a story posted.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

This buck is absolutely real. In fact about mid August I almost ran it over as it crossed SR73 right at the Jordan river bridge. It has been as far south as the flood gates at Utah lake and all over the Jordan river drainage. My neighbor works at Kennecot and he was telling me this buck has been seen around the mine also. He is not afraid of people at all so I would guess it would be an easy kill. The FRITOS buck from the Tooele Army Depot was also not afraid of people and allegedly ate fritos right out of some guys hand.

The last time I saw it was on Spet 16 as I was on my way to the airport. He was in a field north of the McDonalds at redwood and SR73. If this guy was poached I hope they person gets caught and their nads get put in a vice.


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## Duckholla (Sep 24, 2007)

90redrider said:


> Duckholla said:
> 
> 
> > 90redrider said:
> ...


It's absolutely possible that it was killed legally. I for one, hope that's the case!


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## Kingfisher (Jul 25, 2008)

let me ask the obvious question here... if any one of us had legally taken this beautiful animal - would you not share pictures of you with the kill with everyone you know and across the internet including this forum as well as getting a prelim boone an crockett score with pics to the boone page? i know my mug would be on every hunting forum from here to bangladesh with a grin showing all four of my teeth. now, i know that some would not but i think the vast majority would... so, assuming this feller is dead and gone, i would assign a 90% probability that he was taken illegally. but the assumption that he is dead or that he is even the camp williams buck is not fact. even the 'tame' animals of this size dont get that big being stupid about guns and people. he might just pop back up.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

I see what you are saying Kingfisher. Great point. But on the flip side, dozens of my hunting friends just don't do internet forums. Just not their deal. Figure that you could combine this forum membership with the other hunting/fishing forums in Utah, and you'd still only account for about 1/4 of those that get deer tags every year.


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## Kingfisher (Jul 25, 2008)

good point gar... its all perspective


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Maybe someone stuck an arrow in him and he just ran off and died...maybe. Just sayin.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> Maybe someone stuck an arrow in him and he just ran off and died...maybe. Just sayin.


 :roll: Arrows are quite incriminating aren't they... Being that he was seen mid September after the archery hunt was closed, I doubt it.

But, as long as we're all making wild speculations...

May be someone took a stupid six hundred yard shot at him with a rife and he ran off gut shot and died in a ditch because the rifle hunter was too lazy to fallow up cuz it was too far to walk over and investigate. :roll:


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> :roll: Arrows are quite incriminating aren't they... not when you get a pass thru
> But, as long as we're all making wild speculations...
> 
> May be someone took a stupid six hundred yard shot at him with a rife and he ran off gut shot and died in a ditch because the rifle hunter was too lazy to fallow up cuz it was too far to walk over and investigate. :roll:


i think if any deer hunter out there knew the actual size of the buck that they just took a shot at, they would walk over to atleast take a look and see if they hit it. i would walk miles upon miles with no shoes on through the nastiest chit you could find if i could have an opportunity at a deer that size. if i did take a shot, i would most definitely go take a look....


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

But, as long as we're all making wild speculations...

Maybe a meteor fell out of space and killed him denying the arrow flingers as well as the long range shot lobbers a chance at him?????? It amuses me the division and finger pointing between sportsmen especially when there is absolutely no info that suggests that this deer was even killed.----SS


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

I think Bigfoot ate him along with his antlers (this of course helps him keep his muscles big and strong).


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

This speculation is hilarious! For as much range as he has been known to cover a number of things could have happened. There are cats up in them hills, there are yotes too. The rut is coming up and for all we know he is chasing some new tail in a new area somewhere because he's a stud and he's tired of the same old hoohaa from the same old does. Untill a carcas is found and/or someone spots the antlers on someone's wall we cannot speculate that HE WAS poached.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I think Mossback Outfitters borrowed one of Deseret Land and Livestock's helicopters and flew over and shot that SOB with a longrange gun from a moving vehicle, (helicopter) then cut the horns off and then took off. Ya, that's it.


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## ddhunter (Jul 17, 2011)

WOW!!! cheerleaders gossip less than this. How about big country and smart animals? I think there was less speculation about where Bin Laden went after the war kicked off.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

I really hope nobody shot him and he's just out chasing down some doe cooter. In fact, I hope he breeds every doe on the entire Wasatch front! Twice!


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## Broadside_Shot (Feb 22, 2010)

Is there an investigation going on about this buck or are people just assuming because he is missing.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

Has the Camp Williams buck turned up?

Here are some pictures of Frito (Deseret Chemical Depot) not long after he disappeared in 2005. The young man that killed Frito sent out an email showing his prize. The trouble was that some of the people that received the pictures recognized the deer and knew it wasn't from the Wasatch Front. The deer was mounted and in the DWR poacher display for a while.

[attachment=2:timmr9vk]Poached5point1email.jpg[/attachment:timmr9vk]


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## Broadside_Shot (Feb 22, 2010)

Funny to read through all the posts now that the truth has been revealed

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=1892634 ... p-williams


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Well, Im glad he got caught and owned up to it. Its amazing what people will do for a "trophy"


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

That's one thing poachers don't consider.....a trophy is usually only a trophy when you can show it off. If you can't show it off the antlers aren't worth much and that gets them busted.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

And here I sat thinking he was out looking for new HooHah in far away lands because he was a stud!

I am glad they nailed that *son of a biotch* and I hope he spends a lot of time behind bars and pays up a ton of money in fines. Since he was on Camp Williams; Can he face federal charges? I hope he does.


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

Agh that's too bad I hate poachers. I don't understand how it could even feel like a trophy. It would hang on your wall but you would always know you didn't earn it. I think that would take the fun out of it knowing the deer doesnt have a story or experience behind the kill. I think these people get so obsessed with there friends and family thinking wow he's the mighty hunter that they lose all ethics. Anybody can find the monster on protected land it takes a real man and a true hunter to just admire its beauty and hope that someday you see one like him where you hunt!


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## cklspencer (Jun 25, 2009)

Glad they got him. A guy of that age knowing well that what he was doing was wrong should lose his hunting rights forever.


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

Glad they caught that piece of trash.... Now they can turn the antlers over to me.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

The comment in the paper about "that's my deer" just baffles me and shows his true feelings. That deer belonged to all of us. That guy owes all of us. Sad state of affairs. :twisted:


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## UTEXPLORER (Jul 7, 2009)

The way the article alludes to him saying he pulled the trigger and that was his buck. I would assume the investigators did not out right ask him if he poached the deer at Camp Williams. They had an ace in their pocket knowing they had the carcass that was found on Camp Williams land, along with the security guards testimony. I would wager they played dumb and just expressed interest in such a trophy and the guy not being so bright owned up to everything unknowingly. He probably had a tag for it, so he could get it mounted, and a good back story on where he got it. I hope he is prosecuted the full extent of the law, for no other reason than to set a proper example.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Wow how sad, that was an incredible sample of the species. To bad some greedy SOB had to go take him from the rest of us.


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## cnegeese801 (Mar 19, 2009)

I can't believe people. Did he think he was going to get away with it. A buck of that caliberthat is poached is a going to get u busted. Human greed always to have the biggest or the best is really sad and some people will do anything to have. I really hope he get hammered and spends some time in prison. I think if they don't punish people and really make it hurt then more people will poached.just like Clinton calderkilling the bands and collars the first time he was busted he did not learn anything and was out ahunting again without a license. If poachers only get a little fine well I don't think people get the message otf if u poach its going to hurt really bad and u will loose everything u used for hunting a huge fine and jail time and never beening able to hunt again


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## saturn_guy (Jan 17, 2009)

I can't believe the guy thought he could get the deer mounted the same year he poached it, and get away with it! A deer like that is going to be recognized. Sad sad sad.


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## pkred (Jul 9, 2009)

That is kind of what i was thinking.... How are we gonna keep an eye on the 30 units, when the only way we caught a guy who poached a world class buck off a secured military facility was the taxidermist....


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Who said that it was the taxidermist? The article didn't indicate that the tip came from him but just that they got a tip. I could of been anyone that walked into the shop and saw the antlers. I like reading the readers responses on the article. It is surprising at how uninformed some people are of the wildlife laws in the state. 

It also struck me kind of strange that he took it to a local taxidermist, it is almost like he wanted to get caught. I also wonder just how many more large bucks he has shot out around Alamont where the article said that he was from. I have seen some real nice bucks out there in the hay fields. 

I'm just glad that they caught him.


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## OPENCOUNTRY (Jan 25, 2009)

Where/what side of camp williams was the buck on? does anyone know? Rose canyon? Tickville? anyone know?


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## BigBen04 (Jan 20, 2012)

Middle of camp


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## BigBen04 (Jan 20, 2012)

Why would u post a picture like that online ? where is the sense in that??? how moronic can u be?


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

This is a crying shame! I sure hope he gets a whole lot more than just wanton destruction; criminal trespass, federal facility...Of course, I know he will only get about two slaps on the wrist. Having reported a poacher for taking a mature bull in a spike only area---he did not spend a day in jail (as most may expect), only had some fines, lost no equipment and I think couldn't hunt for like two years. I would be curious to see the outcome if this were private property and a private herd to see what criminal and civil penalties would be. The problem is not the DWR, but the court system.


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## BigBen04 (Jan 20, 2012)

(Edited by moderator for vulgar and duplicate post)


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## BigBen04 (Jan 20, 2012)

of course its private property, the buck was on federal land, I was a part of the crew that reported the shots, we even spent two hours trying to track the sob down


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## BigBen04 (Jan 20, 2012)

Al Hansen said:


> hockeyandhunting said:
> 
> 
> > [quote="Al Hansen":36t6r1k4]
> ...


Thank you.[/quote:36t6r1k4]

Why would you post these online? as far as I'm concerned you added to peoples desires to catch and kill this beautiful buck... hope these actions come back and bite you in the ****

***edited by moderator***


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

BigBen04 said:


> Why would you post these online? as far as I'm concerned you added to peoples desires to catch and kill this beautiful buck... hope these actions come back and bite you in the a$$


Reminder. Please do not use profanity on the forum. If you have any questions, feel free to PM any mod and we will gladly explain any rules you might have a question on


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

BigBen04 said:


> Why would u post a picture like that online ? where is the sense in that??? how moronic can u be?


Maybe you missed the whole point; these were posted after it was killed to identify him and let folks know just how big he was. Not to mention the ridiculous nature of your post; by that same thought pattern, do you also believe that allowing tobacco and liquor companies should not be allowed to advertise as it promotes doing things that break the law? And on that same note, do you condone pictures of women being posted online as it promotes sexual assaults?


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Just sad, what an idoit! Why poach a deer everyone knows is on federal land? The arrogance of some people astonishes me. :roll: :x :x 
The sad thing with they way our jail systems are busting at the seams I don't see him doing more than 30 days. I hope I'm wrong and they hammer him.


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

The last few people busted that made its way to the media got a slap on the wrist. I think it was just a couple years ago a guy was busted down in southern Utah with 7-8 trophy bucks figured to have been poached off a premium limited unit.

The guy I think got 3 days in jail and about a $4500 fine. To me that is a slap on the wrist considering people pay outfitters in Utah up to $6000 to kill one trophy buck.

That said, I think with this being such a popular and known buck, the guy admitting he killed it illegally, and it being on federal ground will change this case a little. At least I hope so!


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

BigBen04 said:


> Why would u post a picture like that online ? where is the sense in that??? how moronic can u be?


This statement seems a little narrow minded. IMHO There's a very good chance it was reconized by someone in the taxidermy shop because it was shown on the internet.
I hope people keep sharing pictures of these big and unique bucks.


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

Camp Williams must have some good browse. We need to talk to them about how they manage there land. :shock: 

Maybe we can get them to auction off some Camp 
Williams tags to the highest bidders just like Antelope Island? :roll: 

Didn't they have a bunch of fires in the last few years?


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I think you can hunt any military base in the country except camp williams. Upper management on camp is a vegetarian or something. It's a shame they don't even let their own military people hunt it. I'd love to see that be a draw area.


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

I know a former CO of Camp Williams who's a hunter and fisherman and when I asked him about it a few years ago, he told me they don't spend much money or time managing wildlife on the base. They have to remove a few animals, not just deer, from the rifle ranges and training sites, but otherwise they just let nature take it's course. As far as hunting goes, they have safety and liability issues with military maneuvers and unexploded munitions and it's just simpler to keep it closed. Whether that policy was just for the base and is determined by the CO or whether it comes from further up the ranks, I don't know. However, I can tell you he pretty much knew where all the big ones were!


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Very few military installations allow any kind of hunting, unless they have large pockets of "wild lands" on the base/fort/camp. I've only seen it on Air Force bases that don't have the possibility of unexploded ordinance that Army or Marine facilities have. And I've never seen a Navy facility allow it. ;-)


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

A lot of military bases do allow hunting but it is on land that they decide is safe for the hunters. Ft. Carson here in Colorado is one of them. You only have access to certain areas and they can close it down at any time.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Never mind. I was miss informed. Believe NOTHING you read, 10% of what you hear, and only half of what you see...


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## Huntoholic (Sep 17, 2008)

GaryFish said:


> Very few military installations allow any kind of hunting, unless they have large pockets of "wild lands" on the base/fort/camp. I've only seen it on Air Force bases that don't have the possibility of unexploded ordinance that Army or Marine facilities have. And I've never seen a Navy facility allow it. ;-)


Camp Pendleton, I believe, allowed hunting in the early 70's. It was lottery draw for a specific spot and very structured.

I don't know if it has changed or not since then.


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