# Thieves have hunting trophies in their sights



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Thieves have hunting trophies in their sights 

Monday, July 11, 2005 , By Howard Meyerson , Press Outdoors Editor 
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-23/112109310986010.xml

It was just a week ago that Mark Herblet lost his pride and joy -- a shoulder mount of a handsome six-point deer that he shot last fall on opening day.

Actually, Herblet didn't lose it. Someone broke into his Belmont home and stole it. 

While his wife, Michelle, and 2-year-old son, Kaleb, lay sleeping upstairs, a thief made off with his trophy, which had been televised on Fred Trost's "Big Buck Night" for its unusually large size. 

"I was about to take it and have it scored to see if it made the record books," Herblet said. 

And that is precisely what might tempt a thief to take it, according to state law enforcement officials. Large or unique and special trophies can command a high dollar on the black market. And Herblet's loss is part of a recent trend. 

"It's unusual for just a mount to be taken. But we've had a rash of burglaries in the last two weeks from cabins and cottages in the Upper Peninsula, a taxidermist in Indian River and now this -- where the only thing stolen were whitetail deer and other wildlife mounts," said Detective Sgt. Wade Hamilton, the supervisor for the DNR's special investigative unit which does undercover investigations. 

"Unusual racks can bring a lot of money," Hamilton said. "They are sought by people who are obsessed with them. 

"I know of one non-typical rack that sold for $45,000. It's not uncommon for large racks to sell for $18,000 to $20,000 on the black market. It depends on their unique characteristics." 

Hamilton said even an unusual six-point rack like that on Herblet's deer might be sold to someone who thinks it would be just perfect to round off a collection. 

"A six-point like his, with such large antlers, is not a normal Michigan deer. Being unique, it is going to be of more interest to collectors both in Michigan and across the nation," Hamilton said. 

Herblet's big buck was the result of a full day in the field last fall. At 205 pounds dressed out, it was the largest buck he had ever shot. 

Six-point antlers typically don't cause a stir, but this buck was more than a little unusual. Its antlers had 25-inch mainbeams, a 23-inch outside spread and 21-inch inside spread. 

Herblet thought it had a shot at the Michigan record book kept by Commemorative Bucks of Michigan. He was crushed by the theft. He says it hurts to think that someone came to his house just to steal his deer. 

"I will never shoot one that big again," said Herblet, a forklift driver for Alticor who began hunting 25 years ago. "Other than my family, it's the most important thing in my life." 

A Rockford High School graduate who lives in the home where he grew up, Herblet suspects the mount was taken by someone he knows. 

Herblet's wife, who had been sleeping upstairs in a room with a window air-conditioner, never heard the thief enter. She realized something was amiss when she came downstairs at 9 a.m. and found a window open and a screen popped out. The crook paid no attention to her diamond ring, credit card or purse full of cash -- all sitting on the table in plain view. 

"They went by that stuff like they had been here before. They grabbed the mount and went out the sliding door. That was it," Herblet said. 

Michelle Herblet called her husband at work to see if he had left the window open. He advised her to call the police. 

When the police arrived, nothing seemed to be missing. At least nothing that most would consider valuable: electronics, jewelry, cash. 

"That evening, we were packing up the truck to go away and Michelle went into the dining room and said: 'What did you do with the head mount?' 

"I said: 'I didn't do anything with it' and that's when we realized it was gone," Herblet said. 

Kent County sheriff deputies investigating the scene say it doesn't appear the burglar actually came in through the window. But just how entry was made is unknown. 

"I find it odd that the only thing stolen was the deer head," Kent County Sheriff's Deputy Keith Kazelskis said. "My opinion is that it was someone he knew." 

Lt. Ray Boehringer, the DNR law supervisor for southwest Michigan, agreed the situation was unusual. Deer heads aren't typically a high-priority target. He said in 25 years of service he can recall only one home where a mount was stolen along with other things. 

"Sometimes, we'll see this at a taxidermy shop, but it doesn't usually happen out of a home," he said.


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