RITCHIE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – On November 4, 2022, West Virginia Natural Resources Police Officers Casto, McLaughlin, and Gieseke completed a hunter education course with over 35 students at the Ellenboro fire department in Ritchie County, West Virginia. The officers had just arrived at a restaurant for dinner when they received a call about an ongoing poaching complaint on Bonds Creek Road.
Officers Casto, McLauglin, Gieseke, and Sgt Haines arrived at the residence and met the intoxicated suspect. The suspect failed field sobriety and finally admitted to shooting a large trophy deer with a lever action rifle. The entire incident was witnessed and videotaped by nearby individuals who were admiring the trophy buck from afar. Officers were able to locate the mortally wounded deer, which was alive but could not stand due to being shot by the high-power rifle. The officers were forced to put the animal down.
Officers recovered the Marlin 30-30 rifle that the suspect used while impaired to wound the deer and determined that the inside spread of the main beams of the deer exceeded 20 inches.
The suspect is facing multiple charges in the Ritchie County magistrate court, including hunting in a closed season, hunting while intoxicated, conspiracy to violate natural resource law and obstructing.
The deer was recovered and provided to a family unrelated to the incident. The family was thankful to receive the meat from the deer.