Traverse City Record-Eagle

Emmet County

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February 18, 2009

Teens allegedly 'shined' and shot deer

The high school students face poaching charges

By ART BUKOWSKI

HARBOR SPRINGS -- Two Emmet County teens face criminal charges after they allegedly "shined" and shot several white-tailed deer.

Joshua Luke Kruzel, 17, and another male youth, 16, recently were arrested and charged with deer poaching and several related misdemeanors following a months-long Michigan Department of Natural Resources investigation.

DNR conservation officers began to receive complaints in October of multiple deer being shot in a "concentrated area" just north of Harbor Springs. Back straps, loins and antlers were taken from some of the animals, but in many cases the entire deer was left to rot, said DNR Lt. Daniel Hopkins.

Hopkins wasn't sure how many deer were killed, but said some estimates ranged up to a "couple dozen."

Investigators believe the teens, who both attend Harbor Springs High School used a bright light to "shine" the deer during nighttime hours. Most deer were shot in the head with a .22 caliber rim fire rifle, authorities said.

The teens may have been involved in a competition to see who could shoot the most deer, Hopkins said.

"It is troublesome ... especially if it was some form of competition," Hopkins said. "Obviously, they were shooting some animals that would have been available for hunters to take legally, and once you've poached them, they're no longer available to the (public)."

A tip led officers to the teens' Harbor Springs-area homes, where investigators allegedly seized two .22 caliber rifles.

"There was cooperation across the board, both with the individuals involved and with their parents," Hopkins said.

The 16-year-old will be charged as a juvenile. If convicted, the teens could be required to pay $1,000 to the state for each deer authorities can determine they killed.

The killings caused a buzz in the local hunting community, said Angie Cranney, owner of Petoskey hunting supply shop Archer Full Throttle. Speculation existed for months about the possible culprits, she said, and it's "reassuring" to see arrests made.

"It's very disturbing to see and it sets a very bad example for our youth," Cranney said. "It's very unfortunate they chose to do that."

Anyone with information about poaching is encouraged to call the DNR's Report All Poaching (RAP) hotline at 800-292-7800.

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