A Wisconsin man, Richard Waters, 62, is implicated in a fraud case for attempting to register a farm-raised deer as a wild buck, which could have set a state record. The investigation by the Department of Natural Resources revealed that he purchased the deer’s antlers instead of harvesting the animal legally during hunting season, leading to a guilty plea and a fine of $544.50.
The Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club, the state’s official record-keeper for big game, has noted this incident as the first known attempt to pass off a farm deer as wild. Typically, wild deer antlers show signs of wear from natural behaviors—contrasting starkly with the often larger, unmarred racks of farm-raised deer that are often fed supplements. The details of how deer antlers are scored and categorized add intrigue to this growing story in the hunting community.
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