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SALT LAKE CITY — A Bluffdale man convicted in a felony poaching case has asked for new trial, even as he heads for sentencing on Monday.
A jury found Stephen Rueckert, 50, guilty of wanton destruction of protected wildlife, a third-degree felony, during his trial in September. The case revolved around the October 2011 shooting of a unique trophy buck referred to as the rabbi or medusa buck.
In the original charging documents, prosecutors claimed Rueckert illegally shot the animal on the grounds of Camp Williams, taking the distinct antler rack and leaving much of the meat to waste. Rueckert, though, told a different story in an exclusive interview with KSL after the verdict.
Rueckert claimed to have fired the first shot while both he and the deer were on private property adjacent to the military base.
"We bait and scent and do everything we can to bring these deer out of Camp Williams onto a property that I bought 22-plus years ago," Rueckert said. "I leveled off and took a shot, this deer went down, came back up and was obviously on three legs and went over the hill into Camp Williams."
Rueckert said the deer had been wounded in the leg and hobbled, but in such a way that it did not leave a blood trail.
"I made the decision to go in there and retrieve that animal myself knowing that [the] Fish and Game [Department] would more than likely not let me look for that animal without a blood trail," Rueckert said.
At the time, that portion of Camp Williams was not enclosed with a fence. While within the installation's boundaries, Rueckert said he fired a second shot, killing the buck.
"I did not attempt to drag the deer downhill and conceal it. I did not at any time try to cover my presence. I was totally visible from the Camp Williams road," Rueckert said.
He also said he took more than just the antlers, having carried out the hide and all but a small amount of meat which had been tainted with bile.
In a motion filed Friday, Rueckert's attorney said he should not have been convicted, due to conflicting requirements placed on him by Utah law. The filing said under state code, hunters are required to make reasonable efforts to retrieve an animal once it has been shot.
"The conflicting commands in this case, one which required Mr. Rueckert to make reasonable efforts to retrieve the wounded deer and the other which prohibiting [sic] him from taking the deer on Camp Williams, do not provide Mr. Rueckert a clear path or fair warning on what he should reasonably do in this situation," the motion stated.
The motion also faulted prosecutors for failing to preserve the skeleton of the deer as evidence, called Rueckert's previous attorney ineffective and took issue with one of the instructions provided to jurors at trial.
Meanwhile, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has asked 3rd District Court Judge Richard McKelvie to impose 30 days in jail followed by 36 months probation, $8,000 in restitution, a $1,000 fine and the loss of hunting privileges for 14 years.
"Money and lose [sic] of hunting privileges is not an adequate deterrent for this offense since most hunters spend hundreds of dollars every year on the sport and may simply go hunting with another person to still enjoy the thrill of the hunt," the state's sentencing recommendations said.
Rueckert said he understands the desire to rein in poachers. He hopes to shed himself of the label.
"I turn in more wildlife violations than anyone I know because I'm out in the field a lot," Rueckert said. "My reputation means a lot to me."
