In September 2023, CDFW wildlife officers in Madera County were conducting a routine inspection at a local taxidermy shop when a distinctive antlered deer mount immediately caught their eye. They recognized the antlers from a buck previously photographed alive in Yosemite Lakes Park, a residential golf course community in Coarsegold.
Attached to the mount was an A19 Archery/X10 tag claiming the deer had been taken in Inyo County near Mount Whitney — more than 100 air miles away.
Officers compared dates and photos and confirmed the same deer was alive in Yosemite Lakes Park just days before the reported harvest. A search warrant served at the tag holder’s residence uncovered photos showing the deer behind his home on the same day it was claimed to have been taken in the X10 deer zone…