Authorities seek trespassing hunter

Photo provided by the Mandeville policeA hunter left his freshly killed buck and his compound crossbow after he was confronted by an angry property owner in the Sanctuary subdivision in Mandeville on Monday, but he also left behind something even more incriminating: a digital game camera with images of him dragging the deer carcass.

A hunter left his freshly killed buck and his compound crossbow after he was confronted by an angry property owner in the Sanctuary subdivision in Mandeville on Monday, but he also left behind something even more incriminating: a digital game camera with images of him dragging the deer carcass.

The property owner called Mandeville police, but the hunter fled before authorities arrived.

Mandeville police have not yet identified the man, who is facing at most a misdemeanor trespassing charge. But the game camera, which hunters use to track the movement of their prey, yielded several images that police have released in the hope that someone will recognize him.

The Mandeville Police Department asks anyone with information to call at [phone].

Lt. Gerald Sticker said that the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has been notified so agents can determine whether the hunter is properly licensed and if he violated any other laws. Lt. Sticker noted that bow season began Oct. 1.

The Sanctuary is heavily wooded and has a lot of deer and other wildlife, according to Sticker. The property in question is adjacent to Mandeville High School, and police believe that the hunter gained access through the school’s property.

“At the end of the day, he just needs to stay off the guy’s property,’’ Lt. Sticker said.

Sticker said he did not know what happened to the deer carcass but speculated that either Wildlife and Fisheries or the property owner took it.