Newtown Man Illegally Harvested a 24-Point Buck: State Environmental Police

NEWTOWN, CT — A local man was arrested for falsely reporting a 24-point buck that he hunted and harvested from a captive deer farm in Pennsylvania, according to the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police. Wayne Simko, 65, was arrested on a warrant on June 5.

Police say they received an anonymous tip regarding a 24-point buck taken in Bridgewater, CT. The buck had a non-typical rack and was clear of any blemishes caused by tick bites, which suggested it was not from the state.

Police later found that Simko hunted and harvested the buck from Pennsylvania, did not process the meat for consumption, did not clean the deer as required before preparing it for mounting and illegally brought the whole buck back to Connecticut, according to environmental police.

It was later found that he tagged the buck falsely and reported it as being harvested in Bridgewater. Pope & Young, who scores bucks, refused to do so because it was a captive farm deer. Since Pennsylvania is a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) confirmed state, the animal must be processed for consumption and cleaned before being brought to Connecticut.

Simko was charged with false reporting when reporting deer and a violation of the Federal Lacey Act. He was released on a $2,500 court ordered non-surety bond.

Image via the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police.