Poacher shot deer across busy Langley road

Langley’s pinto deer was shot last month in an incident that Conservation Officers say was dangerous and illegal.

“It’s careless use of a firearm is what it is,” said Conservation Officer Jack Trudgian. “Somebody could have come around the bend and he could have killed somebody.”

The incident took place on Oct. 2 at 4:45 p.m. around the 80000 block of 232nd Street.

A man in a silver newer-model Toyota pickup with a canopy stopped on the road, stuck a rifle out of his window, and shot the pinto deer where it was standing in a nearby field. 

Trudgian said the man fired across the opposite lane of the roadway. His truck was stopped near the top of the sharp curve where 232nd Street drops down towards the Salmon River floodplain.

The deer, about 75 meters away and standing on private property, was hit once in the head and killed instantly.

The pinto deer had distinctive brown-and-white markings. Pintos are an uncommon variation in deer colouration, and this one had been known in the neighbourhood for several years.

The shooter did not get out of the truck to retrieve the deer; he simply drove off.

Trudgian said the man’s actions broke numerous hunting and gun use laws.

“I’ve been here 10 years, and I’ve never seen someone shoot off a road and across a highway,” Trudgian said. With the sharp curve in the road, there was no way to see oncoming traffic while he was preparing to shoot.

Hunting in Langley is legal, but only on private, agricultural property with the permission of the property owner. Hunters can only shoot when they are at a certain distance from houses and schools.

Conservation Officers are now investigating this shooting, and examined the deer before it was disposed of.

They are asking for tips from the public, as they believe by now the man may have said something or told someone what he did.

“We think this guy’s a local guy,” Trudgian said.

While 232nd Street is a relatively busy road, it’s mostly used by people who live or work in Langley.

The shooter is possibly a sport shooter, or more likely a hunter. His shot was very accurate.

However, the way he shot was wildly reckless, Trudgian said.

The B.C. Wildlife Federation offers rewards for tips that lead to the conviction of poachers, which would include this case.

The reward is up to $2,000. Anyone with a tip should call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277. Tips can remain anonymous.