Ohio

Was it a hoax? 4 accused in illegal Ohio hunt of 18-point deer

Published

7 months ago

May 19, 2024

Was it a hoax? 4 accused in illegal Ohio hunt of 18-point deer

Dave Golowenski
| Columbus Dispatch

What end deer hunter Christopher J. Alexander foresaw in November when he reported the buck whose pinups drew raves couldn’t have been this one.

The tale Alexander related at the time hinted at fortune, not ruin. At fame, not infamy. A tangle of facts sometimes intrudes.

The story of the potential Ohio record buck hasn’t reached an end exactly. An indictment is only a charge. That holds true when even 23 charges and a grand jury are involved, as occurred early this month.

A Clinton County court ultimately will adjudicate the matter of guilt.

What Alexander, 28, of Wilmington, is accused of by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office boils down to felony fraud and to misdemeanor hunting violations, some of which are tied to more than a single deer.

But it was a single deer that commanded attention.

Mike Rex, an experienced measurer of antlers, an officer in the Buckeye Big Buck Club, and a longtime and successful hunter of trophy whitetails, took a close look soon after the Nov. 9 kill and declared, “It was the biggest set of antlers I’ve ever held in my hand.”

With only the slightest of reservations, Rex said in December he would support Alexander’s 18-point buck as a state record when in January a panel of measurers officially would put tape to the typical, that is, symmetrical rack.

Neither Rex nor most interested people at the time pondered reasons to doubt Alexander’s story about a surprise late-afternoon encounter with a distant deer carrying epic antlers on property his sister, Kristina Alexander, had only recently acquired.

The deer, Alexander said, seemed to be pursuing a doe when it fortuitously ambled to within about 7 yards of the tree stand and the waiting crossbow.

“I knew he was a giant,” the hunter said. “I didn’t know he might be a record.”

A few weeks after the kill, Alexander confided that he’d already been offered $20,000 for the antlers but was holding out until the official scoring. He said was willing to take the risk because the antlers might fetch $100,000 if determined to be a record.

The possibility that a giant buck could have been roaming the countryside not far from Wilmington unknown or unphotographed did seem unlikely in an age of preseason antler scouting and in-season trail cameras.

That Alexander’s chance deer had drawn attention and interest before its demise seemed unavoidable. And thus was the case.

The big buck generously had showed up for semiregular public viewing at a local cemetery. Its head and antlers mounted on some hunter’s wall wasn’t on the wish list of many who’d come to appreciate the deer’s stately presence among them.

How the Ohio Division of Wildlife was alerted hasn’t been revealed, but an investigation begun in December uncovered evidence that led to the indictments.

According to Attorney General David Yost’s office, Alexander claimed that the deer was shot and killed on the land owned by his sister, where he had written permission to hunt. However, an investigation by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which obtained a warrant for Alexander’s cellphone data, found that deer was illegally hunted on private property 10 miles from his sister’s land.

Alexander staged the deer taking at his sister’s property, according to Yost’s office, with the help of Corey Haunert and his brother, Zachary Haunert, to conceal the poaching. The written permission presented to wildlife officers was likewise falsified.

ODNR’s investigation also found that Corey Haunert aided Alexander in poaching deer on multiple occasions, according to Yost’s office.

Charges against Alexander include three felony counts of theft by deception and one felony count of tampering with evidence. Hunting violations, all misdemeanors, include multiple counts of hunting deer without written permission, taking possession of a deer in violation of a division rule, hunting without a license and hunting deer without a valid permit. Single counts include jacklighting, theft, falsification and sale of wildlife parts.

Corey Haunert, 29, of Hillsboro, was indicted on a felony charge of tampering with evidence and on misdemeanor charges including four counts of aiding a wildlife offender, two counts of hunting without permission and a single count of falsification.

Kristina Alexander, 37, of Blanchester, and Zachary Haunert, 31, of Lebanon, face two misdemeanor counts.

Contributing: Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer

outdoors@dispatch.com

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Ohio State or Tennessee? Will the favorites win? Our 1st-round College Football Playoff picks

Published

6 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

Ohio State or Tennessee? Will the favorites win? Our 1st-round College Football Playoff picks

The College Football Playoff for the 2024 season finally has arrived, with four first-round games set to unfold this weekend at campus sites.

WATCH: Stream most of this week’s top college football games live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or with DirecTV Stream (free trial).

It starts Friday night, with No. 7 Notre Dame playing host to No. 10 Indiana. Then on Saturday, 11th-seeded SMU visits No. 6 Penn State, followed by No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Clemson and No. 8 Ohio State playing host to No. 9 Tennessee.

All four winners will advance to the CFP quarterfinals, which are set for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 at bowl sites around the country. The Ohio State-Tennessee winner will face No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl; the Texas-Clemson winner will play No. 4 Arizona State in the Peach Bowl; the Penn State-SMU winner will take on No. 3 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl; and the Notre Dame-Indiana winner will go up against No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Check out the odds for the four first-round playoff games, plus score predictions from the college football coverage team at The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The College Football Playoff bracket for the 2024-25 season.The Associated Press

No. 10 Indiana (11-1) at No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1)

Game details: 5 p.m. PT Friday at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana

TV channel and live stream: ABC/ESPN and Watch ESPN

Latest line: Notre Dame by 7

Over/under: 50.5

Predictions

Ryan Clarke: Notre Dame 27, Indiana 17

James Crepea: Notre Dame 35, Indiana 21

Nick Daschel: Notre Dame 30, Indiana 23

Aaron Fentress: Notre Dame 29, Indiana 23

Joe Freeman: Notre Dame 30, Indiana 21

Sean Meagher: Notre Dame 38, Indiana 35

Joel Odom: Notre Dame 34, Indiana 24

Bill Oram: Notre Dame 31, Indiana 17

No. 11 SMU (11-2) at No. 6 Penn State (11-2)

Game details: 9 a.m. PT Saturday at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania

TV channel and live stream: TNT and Max

Latest line: Penn State by 9

Over/under: 52.5

Predictions

Ryan Clarke: Penn State 31, SMU 10

James Crepea: Penn State 28, SMU 21

Nick Daschel: Penn State 34, SMU 24

Aaron Fentress: Penn State 33, SMU 22

Joe Freeman: Penn State 28, SMU 17

Sean Meagher: Penn State 35, SMU 21

Joel Odom: Penn State 41, SMU 27

Bill Oram: Penn State 35, SMU 33

No. 12 Clemson (10-3) at No. 5 Texas (11-2)

Game details: 1 p.m. PT Saturday at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin

TV channel and live stream: TNT and Max

Latest line: Texas by 12

Over/under: 50.5

Predictions

Ryan Clarke: Texas 23, Clemson 20

James Crepea: Texas 35, Clemson 24

Nick Daschel: Texas 27, Clemson 17

Aaron Fentress: Texas 39, Clemson 24

Joe Freeman: Texas 35, Clemson 20

Sean Meagher: Texas 24, Clemson 17

Joel Odom: Texas 35, Clemson 30

Bill Oram: Texas 55, Clemson 10

No. 9 Tennessee (10-2) at No. 8 Ohio State (10-2)

Game details: 5 p.m. PT Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus

TV channel and live stream: ABC/ESPN and Watch ESPN

Latest line: Ohio State by 7

Over/under: 46.5

Predictions

Ryan Clarke: Tennessee 34, Ohio State 28

James Crepea: Ohio State 35, Tennessee 28

Nick Daschel: Ohio State 35, Tennessee 31

Aaron Fentress: Ohio State 31, Tennessee 23

Joe Freeman: Ohio State 28, Tennessee 24

Sean Meagher: Tennessee 33, Ohio State 31

Joel Odom: Ohio State 27, Tennessee 20

Bill Oram: Tennessee 24, Ohio State 14

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Ohio vs Jacksonville State LIVE STREAM (12/20/24): Where to watch Cure Bowl for free, time, channel

Published

14 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

Ohio vs Jacksonville State LIVE STREAM (12/20/24): Where to watch Cure Bowl for free, time, channel

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks and Ohio Bobcats, two conference champion programs who just bid farewell to their head coaches, will clash at the 2024 StaffDNA Cure Bowl on Friday, December 20 (12/20/2024) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Ohio vs. Jacksonville State will air nationwide on ESPN, and can be streamed live on fuboTV (free trial).

Here’s what you need to know:

What: StaffDNA Cure Bowl

Who: Ohio vs. Jacksonville State

When: Friday, December 20, 2024

Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Time: 12 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN, ESPN Deportes

Channel finder: DirecTV, Verizon Fios, Cox, Xfinity, Spectrum, Optimum

Live stream: fuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial), Sling (half off first month), Hulu + Live TV

READ MORE: College football bowl season 2024-25: Full schedule, dates, kick times, TV channel, matchups

Here’s a recent college football story via The AP:

Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia 17 years ago in part because he was frustrated over the school’s refusal to give him more money for his assistant coaches.

He’ll have plenty for them this time around.

Under his memorandum of understanding signed Dec. 11 and obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request, Rodriguez signed a five-year agreement and will be paid $3.5 million in his first season. That figure increases $100,000 in each subsequent season. His predecessor, Neal Brown earned $4 million this season before being fired on Dec. 1.

Rodriguez also will have a $5 million pool annually for his on-field assistant coaches along with $2.5 million for his football support staff, according to the agreement.

The 61-year-old Rodriguez was introduced Friday for his second stint in Morgantown. He went 60-26 at West Virginia from 2001 to 2007.

The Mountaineers went 6-6 this season under Brown and will meet No. 25 Memphis in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday night.

After he left for Michigan in December 2007, Rodriguez has said promises made by a previous administration at West Virginia were not kept and his request for more money for his assistant coaches was rejected. Rodriguez said his relationship with then-athletic director Ed Pastilong had disintegrated by August 2007 to the point that the two men barely spoke.

In December 2006, Rodriguez considered and then turned down a six-year, $12-million offer to coach at Alabama — a job later taken by Nick Saban. Rodriguez then was given a $100,000 supplemental payment for his assistant coaches at West Virginia. He said later that, prior to leaving for Michigan, he was denied another request for an additional $50,000 for the assistant coaches pool.

Rodriguez spent three seasons at Michigan and six at Arizona before being fired from each head coaching job. He spent the last three seasons as head coach at Jacksonville State, which won the Conference USA championship game over Western Kentucky earlier this month.

Under his agreement, West Virginia will pay Rodriguez’s $1.25 million buyout to Jacksonville State. He’ll be required to pay 25% of his total compensation over the life of the agreement if he leaves before the contract expires, and Rodriguez will receive 50% of his remaining total compensation if he’s fired.

What is fuboTV?

FuboTV is a live TV streaming service focused on live sports, including U.S. and international soccer, the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and more. It also includes its own fubo Sports Networks with exclusive programming, and 35 regional sports networks such Bally Sports and YES Network. fuboTV carries 55,000 live sporting events annually, and offers 202 channels starting at $79.99, includes unlimited DVR, and streams on most devices. Right now you can sign up for fuboTV and get your first month for just $44.99 after a 1-week free trial.

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Ohio Lottery Pick 3 Midday, Pick 3 Evening winning numbers for Dec. 19, 2024

Published

21 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 19, 2024, results for each game:

Pick 3

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 3-7-3

Evening: 4-2-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 5-3-9-9

Evening: 5-3-7-7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 7-2-3-1-5

Evening: 8-4-9-8-5

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Rolling Cash 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

08-19-30-35-37

Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Lucky For Life

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 10:35 p.m.

02-05-13-18-29, Lucky Ball: 16

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.

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