Posted on 11/20/2004 9:38:27 AM PST by slomotion
Authorities studying death of record white-tailed deer. Deer story continues on record size trophy buck estimated to be third largest in Texas history. The "Bullis Buck" a massive white-tailed deer with 35 scorable points and 27 plus inch spread killed early this month at Camp Bullis in Northwest San Antonio, Texas. Helicopters, high-tech satellite-based locating systems and a small pocket knife were involved in the killing.
A helicopter crew ferrying troops across 28,000 acre Army reservation spotted what appeared to be an injured deer with very large antlers. Global Positioning System coordinates were taken by the helicopter crew and picked up by the post hunting headquarters. This facility conducts limited access hunting during deer hunting season. Personnel working at the hunting headquarters responded and located the deer using the GPS coordinates. They noticed something was seriously wrong with the deer, it was disoriented, appeared blind and fell to the ground. They subdued the deer and stabbed it to death with a small 4 inch blade. By regulation, the men were not allowed to carry firearms into the maneuver area where the deer was located.
Examination revealed no firearm or bow weapon wound but there was a small hole in back of the head that was badly infected that could have been caused by a thorn. U.S. and Texas wildlife authorities are investigating and will determine if the laws have been broken concerning the manner in which it was killed. Will this record trophy buck be entered into the record book and who will get credit or penalized for the bucks demise? I have been hunting near 50 years, been cited for a game violatlion and know excuses are not accepted. I hunted this military reservation 17 years, the staff and volunteers are good and hard working sportsmen that may have made a costly mistake. I hope this story has a positive and happy ending.
I crawled the infiltration course there in July 1963. I don't know about the deer situation there but they do have some fearsome sharp rocks.
It sounds like the deer was on the verge of death anyway. It seems to me that the guys that killed it just put it out of its misery.
I agree with #4 - if it was in bad shape, who would benefit by it's suffering? It is only responsible management to remove it.
Crawling through that place was a cinch, now digging Foxholes...(without a jackhammer), thats a different story.
Top was smiling for a week after that exercise.
The place was infested with deer. They would yell at you if you shot one. They would be eating at dusk at the end of the 60 range. The rounds would be going down range and the deer would not move.
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