Man Kills 9 Urban Deer With Bow, Leaves Carcasses in Wyoming Town

A man has been arrested over accusations of going on a killing spree with just a bow and arrows, hunting nine urban deer and leaving their carcasses scattered across the town of Cody in Wyoming .

Knewz.com has learned that the incident has left locals outraged.

The deer-slaughtering spree took place between August 27 and September 4, during which period the carcasses of two bucks, six does, and a fawn were found with broadhead hunting arrow wounds.

It has been reported that most of the carcasses were found around the Park County Complex property—an area containing public buildings and the local library surrounded by greenery and dotted with small ponds.

According to reports, the area attracts some of the “sizable urban mule deer herd” of Cody, Wyoming.

In the aftermath of the incident, Wyoming Game and Fish spokesperson Breanna Ball informed local news outlets that game wardens were investigating the matter, adding that a suspect had been identified and a search warrant had been issued.

The suspect in question was 20-year-old Joshua Tamirat Wielhouwer of Jenson, Michigan .

According to the Park County Sheriff’s Office, Wielhouwer is currently held in custody on a $36,000 bond.

Documents filed at the Park County Circuit Court mentioned that the 20-year-old faces a total of 18 charges in connection to the incident—nine counts of taking a big game animal without a license and nine counts of wanton destruction of a big game animal.

It has been reported that “each misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and/or a $10,000 fine.”

It is worth noting that the legal deer hunting season is currently open in large parts of Wyoming, including urban areas. However, in order to legally hunt a deer, one has to obtain a license issued by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or an intent to keep the meat.

According to regulations, hunters are required to keep all the edible portions of the deer or any other big game animal they hunt. This includes “the animal’s front and rear quarters, backstrap, and tenderloin.”

However, court documents have shown that the deer killed during the eight-day hunting spree were left where they were killed, and there were no attempts to recover the edible flesh from the carcasses.

While the deer-hunting spree initially did not get much attention – neither did the manhunt for the now-arrested suspect – once word got out, the locals were outraged.

Jim Zumbo, an avid hunter and noted outdoors writer who lives in Park County, called the alleged acts “despicable” in a statement to Cowboy State Daily .

“Nine deer, that’s serious,” Zumbo added. “This is outrageous, if there was some guy out there popping deer, and just leaving them there to rot.”

Much of Cody seemed to share Zumbo’s sentiment since mule deer are adored in the Wyoming town. It has also been reported that the mule deer population in Wyoming is already struggling due to “disease, habitat loss, competition with whitetail deer, and other problems.”

“If they (the deer killed) are all mulies, that’s huge concern. They are the main species of deer here in Cody,” local resident Vince Vanata, a retired law enforcement officer, military veteran, and hunter, was quoted as saying.