Christopher Husted, 41, of Grimes, pleaded guilty on Feb. 17, to trespassing and poaching an 11 point buck on Nov. 11, off of Grand Avenue, in West Des Moines.
State Conservation Officer Dustin Eighmy was contacted on Nov. 21 by a West Des Moines resident who found a rotting deer on his property with its head removed. The individual told Officer Eighmy that he saw a truck 10 days earlier with Michigan license plates driving slowly and shining light onto his property, pause, and then pull down a side road to park.
The evidence led to Grimes, where, on Dec. 15, Husted admitted to poaching the 11 point buck deer by shooting an arrow from his truck window on Nov. 11 and returning the following night to remove its head. Officer Eighmy seized the bow used to kill the deer and the antlers.
“Poaching does happen in the city,” Eighmy said. “It’s something we need our neighbors to be aware of and to call an officer if they see it.”
Husted pleaded guilty to illegally taking wildlife, trespassing while deer hunting, abandoning wildlife and not having a valid deer tag. He was fined $756.50 and ordered to pay $4,000 in civil penalties for the buck. Husted also faces license suspension for two years in Iowa and 44 other states that are part of the Wildlife Violator Compact.