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From left, Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers Ryan Aho and Brett Delonge and Marquette City Police officer John Inch pose for a photo with the 12-point buck killed illegally within the Marquette city limits.
A 37-year-old Marquette man confessed Monday to Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers to illegally killing a buck inside the city limits.
The man’s name has not been released. County prosecutors are reviewing charges in the case, which could be either misdemeanors or civil infractions.
At about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, conservation officers received a tip from the public that a man claimed to have killed a trophy 12-point buck that was well-known to residents of a Marquette subdivision.
“He claimed to have killed the buck in Deerton, which is located about 20 miles from the subdivision,” said acting Lt. Ryan Aho. “Over the past few years, multiple residents of the community have shared pictures of the buck on social media, which they had seen regularly walking through yards.”
Acting on the tip, conservation officers contacted the man Monday morning. Following an interview, the man confessed to shooting the deer within the city limits.
“He also admitted to trespassing on private land located about a quarter mile from his residence,” Aho said. “The deer was killed over a bait pile from a blind constructed from trees cut illegally on the private property.”
Marquette City Police officer John Inch assisted with the investigation. Inch seized the compound bow used to kill the deer.
Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned state peace officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect citizens by providing general law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve.
For more information on conservation officers in Michigan, visit the DNR’s webpage at michigan.gov/conservationofficers.
