Illegal Harvest in Iowa

Wow, that is a lot of bone on that deer's head!

Joe_Franz_with_Franz_Buck_Photo_1.jpg
 
This was the only buck last year bigger than the one my buddy and I were after. Shame.
 
so he is charged with baiting (salt block, corn) the deer ? The video shows the deer , a few times, in a field with lots of food.
I guess we will have to see what happing in court
 
I have a hard time believing that there wasn't something wrong if he was issued a citation. I can't imagine the officer did it on a hunch or rumor knowing the publicity it would receive. However, if there was problems with the interpretaion of the law or evidence gathering he may be not guilty......in the eyes of the law. Horns can drive people crazy.
 
How long can salt or mineral be traced? Maybe he had a mineral block there during the summer to help with antler growth but removed it in time for the season? I agree with speed goat thought, it had to be more then a hunch it was taken illegal.
 
My guess is when the camera guy says "found the first blood and its got corn in it" would be why hes under investigation for baiting lmao
 
Just watched the video and he said he was going to a food plot. The article acted like anything strictly to attract was illegal but that could be a mess up in the article. Anyone familiar with Iowa game laws on here? If food plots are illegal he incriminated himself on the video. The quote about corn being in the blood probably didn't help either.
 
Foodplots are not illegal. Every deer in the county probably has corn in it's system at any given point in the day this time of year. I didn't see anything illegal in the video.
 
You cannot bait in Iowa. Weird part is you can bait and use minerals 30 days prior to the season for trail cam pics, etc.

There is a vague law about trace minerals in the ground. It is vague and pretty dumb. We used minerals a few times for trail cam pics. We started to put them in tubs because we had spots that hadn't had minerals in fro 4-5 years and the deer would still paw at it. We even dug up the ground and they still paw at it. We know this now but didn't think twice about it when we put it out.

The guy bought the farm the year he killed the deer. Who is the say he put minerals out or they were there prior to him buying the farm.

I just played basketball with a guy that knows him and said he is a really good stand up guy. He also said 70% of these types of cases get thrown out.

This has become a common theme here in Iowa. God forbid you do the right things and kill a nice buck you are now guilty until proven innocent.

I don't know the guy and I am not going to say he is guilty or innocent but I know I wont rest on what the Iowa DNR is saying.
 
Just watched the video and he said he was going to a food plot. The article acted like anything strictly to attract was illegal but that could be a mess up in the article. Anyone familiar with Iowa game laws on here? If food plots are illegal he incriminated himself on the video. The quote about corn being in the blood probably didn't help either.

Food plots are not illegal, baiting or minerals are.
 
My guess is when the camera guy says "found the first blood and its got corn in it" would be why hes under investigation for baiting lmao

80% of the deer you kill in Iowa during the early season is going to have corn in it. I think he said that because he wasn't sure of the shot and they didn't want to push it.

On that I am different, bow I let them sit, gun I go slow and sneak in. I am pretty confident I can get another one in on them wounded.
 
four counts, hard to believe he was changed four times without some decent evidence. The production company (Trophy Pursuit) that aired the hunt has a history of showing lets just say "not 100% legit" hunts. Doesn't mean he is guilty but it doesn't look good.
 
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What doesn't make sense to me, is this guy could have shot that buck with his cross bow and he passed because he didn't feel comfortable. That just says sportsmen to me, and doesn't come off as the kind of guy that would try to kill him illegally. Who knows maybe that was just B-roll footage but It seems to me like this guy is a victim of jealousy. It seems like If you kill a big buck anymore your under investigation for poaching.
 
What doesn't make sense to me, is this guy could have shot that buck with his cross bow and he passed because he didn't feel comfortable. That just says sportsmen to me, and doesn't come off as the kind of guy that would try to kill him illegally. Who knows maybe that was just B-roll footage but It seems to me like this guy is a victim of jealousy. It seems like If you kill a big buck anymore your under investigation for poaching.


He comes off as a guy that enjoys hunting but maybe isn't very skilled at it. 46 yards with a crossbow in calm conditions isn't very far. I bought my old man one last year and after 5 shots I extended to 50 and felt comfortable shooting. Hell my 7 and 9 year old were drilling the target at 30 yards.

Maybe the guys is guilty I don't know. Every big buck around here gets scrutinized insanely.

It makes a guy not want to show any pictures of what they shoot.
 
The baiting law in Iowa is vague in order to allow for the Conservation Officer to be able to make a case. Deer travel sometimes great distances to get to a mineral block and if the law said that you have to be X amount of feet from the mineral block a hunter would be able to set up beyond that amount and harvest an animal that is traveling to the mineral block. The burden of proof is on the C.O. to prove that the bait or mineral block was the reason the animal was traveling to that area and the further away you are from the bait the harder it becomes. The C.O. presents the evidence to the County Attorney, who decides to go forward with the case or to drop charges. The C.O. and the County Attorney would not go forward with the case if they did not believe they had evidence to support the crime.

The article said the hunter purchased the property in June from a broker and was shown pictures of the large sheds that had been found. The Midwest has seen uptick in land that is bought and sold by real estate agents specializing in recreational properties. Many times the agent may buy the parcel and manage the property for trophy deer for a couple of years during the time that it takes to sell the property. If the bait that was used was a mineral or salt block it is very possible the hunter did not place it there or that it was placed on the property while he owned it. Mineral leaches into the soil and as long as traces can be found in the soil it is still considered baiting in Iowa, there is no time period.
 
Impressive deer.

I hunt mule deer in New Mexico and food plots are not legal. But, the way these products are advertised and sold for food plots,, they must be legal.

I did not see anything different from most TV whitetail hunts. If the hunter is prosecuted, they are many more in line for judgment.

I think the hunter just killed the BIG one and is getting extra attention.

Would love to see the follow up evidence.
 
Seems lime its hard to beleive either side would be doing anything wrong knowing the scrutiny that would come with it. The idea of a mineral block from before he bought it atleast makes sense. I wonder if the former land owner would also be guilty of putting out the bait. Also if the officer must show intent or knowledge of the bait that may get the guy off. It'll be interesting to see the evidence.
 
The entire mineral content in the ground is pretty absurd.

It is nearly impossible to get that stuff out of the ground to the level they are at. If they want to make it clear just say you cannot use minerals at any time of the year. (I doubt they would do that for several reasons, I know some of the big time hunters do a ton of mineral supplements during the off season. Also the industry would throw a fit because of sales). Let people use corn or feed 30 days prior to the season for running trail cameras.

I also have a hard time believing someone would knowingly film a hunt not trying to cross every T and dot every I. I know it happens but how stupid can people be.
 
Putting a hunting show together especially hanging your hat on one giant buck is stressful and people look for every advantage to accomplish the task. There is a long history of shows cutting corners to get the kill they need and portraying it as something else. That isn't to say that all shows do it or haven't legitimately gotten amazing stuff on film like Remi Warren self filming a traditional bow kill on a mule deer.

What I do know is that this case is a reflection of everything wrong with the mainstream outdoor media and the antler inch addiction and the nasty stuff that goes along with being successful rightfully so or not.
 
Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

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