Don't poach in Ohio

[tony]

Read about this dipshit last night.
Killed an absolute monster of a whitetail, I believe on the county prosecutors land and then took it to his sister's place.
Ohio DNR got him, his friends and his sister.
$40,000 in fines and a few months in jail

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Poacher Fined Largest Amount for a Single Whitetail in Ohio History

Christopher J. Alexander, 28, of Wilmington, Ohio, was sentenced in December in Clinton County Common Pleas Court for unlawfully shooting a trophy white-tailed deer buck in November 2023.

www.americanhunter.org

CJ Alexander Pleads Guilty to 14 Charges Related to Poaching Giant Ohio Buck

CJ Alexander entered a guilty plea to charges related to the poaching of a giant Ohio buck in 2023. He lied about where and how he killed the deer.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[7LRM]

Not poach anytime , anywhere anyway!

 

[Sinistram]

What an a-hole. Poaching is one of the most abhorrent, reprehensible violations of our sport and undermines the very fabric of what hunting means. Every time I see one of these stories, I have to wonder where people get the balls to think they can simply act on their own sense of greed and self-interest instead of playing by the rules.

Additionally - you're going to get caught! You won't get the fame and glory you wanted; instead you'll get fines and jail time. That, and the fact every dumbass criminal these days seems to put everything on social media makes it all the easier to catch them. Good on Ohio for slamming this guy with fines and jail time.

 

[dsotm]

Nice to see a state actually give a decent punishment for once

 

[TSAMP]

Assuming the landowner was who the OP said it was. I can't help but wonder if they would go to this much trouble for the average Joe.

That said. Glad he was caught and held accountable.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Assuming the landowner was who the OP said it was. I can't help but wonder if they would go to this much trouble for the average Joe.

That said. Glad he was caught and held accountable.

I agree.

 

[KenLee]

Assuming the landowner was who the OP said it was. I can't help but wonder if they would go to this much trouble for the average Joe.

That said. Glad he was caught and held accountable.

Not for average Joe, or just an above average deer. This monster deer was high profile.

 

[StupidLightweight]

Tragic case of greed, ultimately. If the poacher was shooting does out of season to feed his family, that's different, but to target a monster buck for fame and money? Nope. I have zero compassion for that.

What surprises me most about this case is how someone can trespass on private land and kill a legit world-class whitetail with a bow and almost get away with it. You must admit, that's a highly unlikely series of events to unfold. Truthfully, I didn't even know it could be possible with all the attention big deer get. In 2024, I'm blown away that a 200+ inch deer doesn't have its own Facebuck page, Twitter account, Instagram handle, TikTok to show off its scrape dancing, and even an OnlyFans for the kinky hunters.

Again, very sad case. I hope this scares the bejesus out of future poacher wannabes.

 

[TSAMP]

Tragic case of greed, ultimately. If the poacher was shooting does out of season to feed his family, that's different, but to target a monster buck for fame and money? Nope. I have zero compassion for that.

What surprises me most about this case is how someone can trespass on private land and kill a legit world-class whitetail with a bow and almost get away with it. You must admit, that's a highly unlikely series of events to unfold. Truthfully, I didn't even know it could be possible with all the attention big deer get. In 2024, I'm blown away that a 200+ inch deer doesn't have its own Facebuck page, Twitter account, Instagram handle, TikTok to show off its scrape dancing, and even an OnlyFans for the kinky hunters.

Again, very sad case. I hope this scares the bejesus out of future poacher wannabes.

I think the opposite. At least in rural settings. Most people who hunt would try and keep that deer a secret. I think this kid poached it because he had got away with similar actions in the past. Which by the article holds true as he had an extra fine tacked on for a previously poached deer.

People poach because they don't think they will get caught, and their peers do it. You hunt 100 times never see a warden and you start to feel like you can make the rules.

 

[Jimmy]

hahaha poached on the prosecutors land?! what an idiot

 

[MuleyFever]

If the poacher was shooting does out of season to feed his family, that's different...

There are plenty of ways for someone to get assistance feeding their family. Poaching is poaching.

 

[StupidLightweight]

Just to clarify, I'm not defending poaching. However, there is a big difference between shooting surplus does in Ohio to feed a family and targeting a world-class whitetail buck to make money and fame. This is exactly why many states use the B&C scoring system to determine fines. As a result, big bucks killed illegally cost the poacher big bucks. That was my point. Poaching may be poaching, but not all poaching is the same. I have zero sympathy for a trophy poacher.

 

[The Harbor Master]

100% agree, well said.

 

[MrRogers]

Been following this story since last year. CJ can get bent. The dude lied through his teeth for a year and insisted he was innocent right up until the day he pled guilty. He deserves every penny of that fine.

 

[Ohiofarm]

Ohio doesn’t mess around!

 

[dirtshooter]

Lol

 

[Ohiohuntr]

The fine is based off of the trophy size for a buck in Ohio…. At least that’s what I’m told, haven’t checked for myself

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Looks to have been caught because of his text messages, snap chat, and cell phone meta data so his location. Probably one of the few positives to come out of cell phone use in the woods. Glad the little knucklehead got caught they should yank his hunting license for life too.

 

[Muskykris]

I love a happy ending

 

[Sinistram]

Just to clarify, I'm not defending poaching. However, there is a big difference between shooting surplus does in Ohio to feed a family and targeting a world-class whitetail buck to make money and fame. This is exactly why many states use the B&C scoring system to determine fines. As a result, big bucks killed illegally cost the poacher big bucks. That was my point. Poaching may be poaching, but not all poaching is the same. I have zero sympathy for a trophy poacher.

I understand the sentiment of what you mean with this and that you're not defending poaching. No issue there. However (you knew that was coming...) stealing is still stealing, regardless of the justification. Is this violation certainly one of the worst kinds of stealing? Absolutely.

For additional perspective, I'll mention some of my hunting in Africa where you're accompanied by a government Game Scout, usually wielding an AK-47, who accompanies you the entire time. He's not there for you; he's there if you encounter poachers. He's authorized to shoot their asses "graveyard dead" if he needs to. It doesn't matter if you're hungry or trying to illegally sell ivory - it's all the same to them.