BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A California Department of Fish & Wildlife investigation has led to the arrest and booking of one person into the Kern County Jail on multiple animal and hunting-related code violations.
The department said the code violations include the unlawful take of deer, unlawful possession of deer, hunting without a license, taking fish and wildlife in excess of three times the daily bag limit and the taking of fish and wildlife for profit.
The arrest comes after an extensive investigation by the department was conducted looking into poaching activity.
Wildlife officers executed two search warrants simultaneously on Sept. 24 in Kern County, one at a home in Bakersfield and another on a property in Stallion Springs, enforcement said.
“In the months leading up to the search, a wildlife officer identified a suspect who was involved in numerous poaching incidents,” the department said. “The evidence gathered by the officer established probable cause to believe the suspect illegally harvested several deer without first procuring a hunting license or deer tags, took deer out of season and some of the deer included does and spike bucks that were not legally harvestable.”
Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Officials said the search warrant of the Bakersfield home uncovered “significant” evidence connecting the suspect to multiple wildlife crimes.
The department said officers located 931 black bass, packages of suspected deer meat, six sets of deer antlers and packaged bear meat. Officials said the animal samples were sent to CDFW’s Wildlife Forensics Lab where their DNA was analyzed.
The department said with the genetic information, officers will be able to determine how many deer and bear the suspect was in possession of.
CDFW also is reminding the public that poaching harms California’s wildlife resources and undermines the department’s conservation efforts.
Anyone with information regarding wildlife crimes is urged to contact the department through their the 24/7 CALTIP hotline at 1‑888‑334‑2258.
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