DFG News Release

Wardens Arrest Suspected Deer Poacher

Dec. 10, 2009
Contact:
Warden Patrick Foy, (916) 508-7095
Kirsten Macintyre, Communications, (916) 322-8988

California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens have arrested an Olivehurst man suspected of poaching at least five large deer in Yuba and Nevada counties. Christopher Franklin Speaker, 35, was taken into custody on Dec. 8 after DFG wardens served a search warrant at his home.
DFG wardens launched an investigation after employees of the Alta Sierra Country Club and nearby residents called DFG's Californians Turn in Poachers (CalTIP) hotline to report finding arrows and the carcasses of deer on their property. The deer had apparently been shot at night in close proximity to occupied homes near and on the golf course. The first calls were received in late October and reports continued to come in after the close of hunting season on Nov 1.

Warden Jerry Karnow recovered the evidence, including ten arrows, and with assistance from the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, identified Speaker as the primary suspect. A convicted felon, Speaker had recently been stopped by Sheriff's deputies in the middle of the night, and archery equipment was spotted in the cab of his truck. He had also allegedly taken pictures of a dead deer on his cellular phone and showed them to his probation officer. On Nov. 21, Karnow visited Speaker's home and was invited inside the residence by one of Speaker's relatives. Though Speaker was not at home at the time, the warden was quickly able to spot evidence of several recently killed and illegally tagged deer, along with a compound bow and several arrows similar to those found at the scene of the crimes.

On Dec. 8, wardens served a search warrant at the Speaker residence, where they found packaged deer meat, a spotlight and a night vision device, ammunition and a blank deer tag owned by a person other than Speaker. Scientists at DFG's Wildlife Forensic Laboratory will analyze DNA samples to identify any matches with the arrows and deer carcasses found in the field.

Speaker was arrested and charged with violating his probation, taking deer without a tag, failing to notch and properly fill out two deer tags, possessing an over-limit of deer (including three untagged deer), possessing a deer tag belonging to another person and possessing ammunition as a felon. Other charges are pending in Nevada County, including discharge of a deadly weapon within 150 yards of an occupied residence, trespassing, waste of game, shooting from a road, taking deer during hours of darkness and taking an over-limit of deer during a licensed year.

Successful investigations are often the direct result of private citizens who provide poaching and pollution tips through CalTIP at (888) DFG-CALTIP. Callers may remain anonymous.

MtnHtr

Thanks for the info. Is it correct that felons may own legally archery equipment in California?

The Politically Correct's only recognise guns and gravity/switchblade knives as illegal deadly weapons. That just goes to show how much they don't know about AWDW.

I hate poachers.....

Wow,he's a sharp one isn't he? LMAO

Brian.

Exactly what I was thinking!!

Unless they are poaching wolves, of course?

The only wolves in California are in zoos. Same with Grizzly Bears. The state symbol is extinct in California.

If you want the California Cougar go onto the personal ads.

BTDT.Try to avoid the Asian breed of cats.Trust me on this one.

Brian.

Elin Woods and Sigfried and Roy will back you up here...

Avoids Tigers, they're all trouble