Fort Sumner man jailed for deer poaching

Freedom New Mexico

A 25-year-old Fort Sumner man has been arrested in connection with poaching a dozen illegal deer, according to the Department of Game and Fish.

Loy Minton is charged with 12 counts of unlawful possession of deer and four counts of unlawful killing of deer, a press release said. The allegations are misdemeanors.

According to the release:

• Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, wildlife officers seized 12 buck heads, several guns, knives and approximately 200 pounds of deer meat while executing a search warrant Jan. 27 at Minton’s residence.

• The citizen reported Minton had been poaching deer south of Fort Sumner near Finney Farms.

• Minton admitted to illegally killing four of the deer and acknowledged he knew it was illegal to shoot deer during a closed season.

• Arrested Jan. 28, Minton is being held at the De Baca County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

• Minton faces a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment and may also face additional penalties due to the trophy nature of some of the bucks.

• Department of Game and Fish officers can file civil charges in district court to recoup the state’s loss of unlawfully killed game animals. Depending upon the size of the poached buck, civil penalties can reach as high as $10,000 per animal.