BOISE, Idaho — The Department of Idaho Fish and Game is investigating a possible poaching incident at Baggley Park in Southeast Boise.
Spokesperson Evin Oneal told KTVB a citizen called the department on Tuesday morning after finding a pool of blood in the grass near the tennis courts.
An officer responded to the area and found the blood spot and a blood trail that exited the park to the northeast. The trail ended at a cul-de-sac on South Crosscreek Lane, just north of the park.
Based on the evidence he was able to find at the park, the officer determined the deer was dragged through the park and then loaded into a vehicle. The agency is planning on running tests on the blood to confirm it was a deer.
Following that, the officer went back to the pool of blood and found another blood trail going in the opposite direction. The officer followed this blood trail across Parkcenter Boulevard and determined the deer was shot with a bow and arrow in a common residential area.
“It appears that the deer, possibly a large buck well-known by neighbors, was hit with an arrow in the common area, bolted across Parkcenter Boulevard and died a short distance into Baggley Park,” conservation officer Joey Ishida said in a statement.
Another incident in the same area last month that involved a deer being found dead was determined to be caused by dogs attacking the animal, and not poaching.
Fish and Game officials are concerned not only about the poaching in this case, but also about the safety of the citizens in the area.
Whoever is responsible would face more charges than just poaching, according to Oneale.
"Could be facing possession of an illegally taken animal," he said. "If you poach an animal that is one crime, if you take it, that is another crime."
Authorities are hoping the public can help with the case. Security camera footage obtained by Fish and Game shows a darker color – possibly black – Jeep Wrangler with a brush guard cruising through the area around 2:05 a.m. on Tuesday.
"If anybody saw anything, heard anything, we’re asking folks to check their security cameras for us, and see if they can spot a vehicle going through the area," Oneale said.
The department is looking for anything that happened specifically between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Tuesday morning on South Crosswater Lane, East Woodvine Court, East Monterey Drive and South Mariner Way.
Anyone with information is asked to call (208) 465-8465. Citizens Against Poaching is offering a cash reward for information on the case.
Oneale said this is the first poaching incident in the city of Boise this year.
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