El Dorado County Man Fined $20K For Poaching Trophy Deer On His Property Outside Of Hunting Season

EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) — An El Dorado County man is being fined $20,000 for poaching a trophy deer on his property outside of hunting season, authorities say.

The El Dorado County District Attorney's Office said in a Facebook post that William Vaden pled no contest on Tuesday "to misdemeanor charges of taking a deer with the aid of bait and taking it out of season, and he also admitted the special allegation that he unlawfully took a trophy deer."

The D.A. said the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) between 2017 and 2018 became aware of a large feeder on Vaden's property, citing that it's illegal to feed game animals or use bait to hunt them.

The DFW learned through surveillance that Vaden regularly left bales of Alafafa as bait on the property throughout August and September of 2018.

Authorities said Vaden spotted and shot the large trophy buck on his property on Nov. 11, 2018, after hunting season had closed, and he reported to the DFW that he shot the animal on Oct. 26, 2018, falsely claiming he took the deer legally during the season. The investigation found that Vaden also forged the signature required on his deer tag to also falsely claim he shot the buck in-season.

The DFW approached Vaden with their evidence, which resulted in Vaden admitting to taking the deer out of hunting season and using bait in the process.

After entering his plea, Vaden was sentenced to 90 days in jail, three years of probation and fined $20,000, the district attorney's office said.

In addition to the sentencing, Vaden was ordered to hand over the rifle and camera used in the hunt. Vaden is prohibited from hunting during the entirety of his probation sentence.