JOHNSON COUNTY —The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is asking for help from the public to solve a poaching case in Shawnee, Kansas.
A resident in Shawnee found two whitetail bucks that were illegally shot on private property adjacent to the dead end on Bell Road, about a mile east of the Shawnee Police Department, according to a social media report from KDWP&T game wardens.
The carcasses of both bucks were left intact and the meat was wasted. One buck was a trophy 5x5 point and the other buck was a unique 2x3 point. Both bucks were killed with one arrow from a bow or a bolt fired from a crossbow.
An Under Armour camo jacket was left on a tree branch above one buck and an Under Armour reversible camo/fluorescent yellow face gaiter mask was left on a tree branch above the other buck.
Kansas law makes wanton waste of game meat a crime. This occurred on private property without the owner’s permission to hunt. The forensic evidence suggests both deer were killed Sunday morning.
A house camera captured a picture of a newer model black Dodge 4 door pickup, with black wheel rims, leaving along Bell Road Sunday around 9:30 AM, then returning before immediately leaving again around 11:20 AM.
A local resident spotted the same suspicious vehicle leaving and said it had a Kansas license plate.
If you have information, there are several ways to report it. Call Operation Game Thief at 1-877-426-3843 , complete an online Operation Game Thief form from the KDWPT website, or call or text the Kansas Game Warden for Johnson County Vince Wonderlich at (785) 256-3611. Callers can remain anonymous.