Poached Deer is Potential Florida State Record

by
posted on December 11, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
poacheddeer-potentialfloridastaterecord_lead.jpg
Sergeant Kevin Kryzda / Martin County Sheriff’s Office

Unfortunately for hunters in the Sunshine State, a 23-point buck that could be a new Florida state record was poached last October. Fortunately, though, the poacher was caught nearly red-handed and will have to answer for his crimes.

When Sgt. Kevin Kryzda of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office spotted a dark truck in a wooded area outside a construction site in Indiantown, he became suspicious. Once Sgt. Kryzda saw the driver, 54-year-old Miami resident Mario Enrique Palacio, using a spotlight to shine a deer, he approached the vehicle, and Palacio took off.

According to reports, with the assistance of other law enforcement officers and a helicopter overhead, Palacio was pulled over in short order. The helicopter was able to locate the giant buck in a wooded area near where Palacio’s vehicle was first spotted. Upon further investigation, authorities located a fired .30-06 casing in Palacio’s vehicle, and with the aid of a K-9, a .30-06 rifle in the wooded area a short time later.

The buck was initially measured by a Boone and Crockett Club official and grossed a green-score of 207 inches, putting it in the class of the current state record. The antlers have to undergo a 60-day drying period before an official measurement can be taken, but as the rack sits in a freezer marked as evidence until the court case is over, there’s no telling when an official measurement will be completed.

Palacio, according to reports, is facing charges including felony trespassing and poaching.

Latest

SPD Ptototype
SPD Ptototype

#SundayGunday: Henry Special Products Division HUSH

This week on #SundayGunday, we’re checking out the HUSH Series, from Henry’s new Special Products Division, SPD for short.

New for 2025: Federal’s Personal Defense HST .44 Rem. Mag.

Federal Ammunition has recently added a new HST .44 Remington Magnum “Light Magnum” load featuring a specially designed hollow-point bullet, ideal for those seeking HST performance for self-defense with magnum revolvers.

Utah Wildlife Board Updates

The Utah Wildlife Board approved a few new and updated rules, some of which are necessary after recent legislative changes—including the wildlife management area license requirement for certain counties and the new process for regulating hunting guides and outfitters—along with a few other proposals during a public meeting Thursday.

Member's Hunt: A Tale of Two Moose

This month's Member's Hunt comes from John R. Bean of Tucson, Ariz.

Breeding Duck Numbers Decline Again in ND

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 78th-annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of about 2.66-million birds, down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023.

2025-26 Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird Seasons Set

Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 migratory game bird seasons have been set. There are two significant changes to waterfowl seasons. The regular season daily bag limit for Canada geese in the Atlantic Population Zone has decreased from three to one, and for northern pintail, there will be a flat daily bag limit of three.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.