GREENE COUNTY, Iowa — A Jefferson man has pleaded guilty in connection with a poaching case involving a trophy buck.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 41-year-old Brett Cranston has pleaded guilty trespassing while deer hunting, using a motor vehicle to hunt deer, and shooting within 200 yards of a residence.
The DNR says the charges stem from an incident on Dec. 11, 2016. They received a call about someone trespassing during shotgun season.
Investigators were able to determine Cranston first shot at the deer near Jefferson then followed it on county roads – stopping occasionally to fire more shots. The deer finally died in a cornfield near Cooper.
Officials say the deer’s antlers had a green score of 200 inches.
Cranston’s hunting privileges have been suspended for a year, he had to forfeit his shotgun and the buck, and was fined. Liquidated damages were assessed at $8,000.
Another man, 42-year-old Jeramiah Pederson of Grand Junction, also pleaded guilty in the case. He admitted to not having a hunting license and trespassing while hunting deer.
