Location: Athens, Ohio | I saw this: poaching just don't pay! m
A 28-year-old Clinton County man who poached an 18-point buck, lied to investigators about it and made $20,000 from his poaching activities was given a 90-day jail sentence Wednesday.
Christopher J. Alexander of Clinton County, known as CJ, shot and killed the white-tailed deer on Nov. 9, 2023. State officials said it was the largest deer of its kind in Ohio, showcasing remarkable antler uniformity. Additionally, some reports rank it as the third-largest typical white-tailed deer in North America.
But his cell phone records would catch up to him.
“Instead of the cover of Field & Stream, their notoriety will be a booking photo," State Attorney General David Yost said.
After the deer was killed, CJ Alexander told wildlife officers he had harvested the deer on his sister's land, but the investigators got warrants to search his phone. The data showed he had illegally hunted the buck on private property about 10 miles away from his sister's property, officials said.
Investigators also said his sister, Kristina Alexander, had falsified the written permission to hunt her land.
"Evidence revealed Christopher Alexander staged the deer taking at his sister’s property with the help of Corey P. Haunert and his brother, Zachary R. Haunert, to conceal the poaching," investigators said.
The investigation uncovered more poaching activity than just the buck, officials said.
Wildlife officers also reported that CJ Alexander deceptively profited from the illegal deer taking, selling deer antlers and receiving payments totaling $20,000 from an antler collector, a hunting magazine and a company that sells deer products. |
