Montana man charged with poaching trophy 6x7 mule deer buck north of Helena

A Polson man was arraigned this week in Lewis and Clark County District Court on two counts, including a felony, tied to his alleged poaching of a 6x7 trophy mule deer buck last October east of Holter Lake.

Bryce Patrick Picard appeared in court in Helena on Monday for the hearing after being charged on Feb. 23 with one count of unlawful possession, shipping or transportation of a game animal, a felony, and misdemeanor hunting, fishing or trapping without a license or permit.

According to the state’s criminal information filed against Picard, the alleged poaching incident happened on Oct. 25 last year near the Beartooth Wildlife Management Area and near the border between Hunting Districts 445 and 455.

Hunting District 455 permits go through a competitive drawing system; only 15 were given for 2025 out of more than 1,400 prospective hunters who applied using preference or bonus points. District 445 does not require a special permit for mule deer bucks.

According to state prosecutors, a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game warden patrolling the area on Oct. 25 was told by several hunters a trophy mule deer buck had been harvested that day. Checking the harvest registration box, the warden found Picard reported harvesting a 6x7 buck on state land in HD 445, which surrounds the northern boundary of HD 455.

The warden got ahold of Picard the next day, who reported shooting the deer near the boundary between the two districts, but on HD 445 land. The warden went and searched the area a couple days later but couldn’t find a carcass or drag marks. The warden asked Picard for a picture but he didn’t respond.

The warden and an FWP investigator went back to the area on Oct. 31 and found a deer carcass and hide in a creek bottom to the southeast of where Picard claimed he’d shot the deer. The carcass was located in HD 455, according to court documents.

There was no skull, antlers or legs present, indicating the deer had been quartered and the quarters and skull hauled off. They also found Band-Aid wrappers and a knife cover at the site, and noted the deer appeared to have been freshly killed.

The warden and investigator then contacted three others who were hunting in the area Oct. 25, who reported seeing two men near the kill site and hearing gunshots.

The warden and investigator also got a warrant to look at Picard’s phone records and allegedly found he’d made and received several calls after he spoke with the game warden that day and sent photos of the buck over text messages. According to court documents, the background of the photo of Picard with the deer appeared to be the same area where the carcass had been found.

In January, the warden tried to contact Picard but did not get a response. The warden then texted Picard the picture of him with the deer, and Picard agreed to meet.

Picard told the warden he had dragged the deer from HD 445 to HD 455, but the warden noted that meant he would have dragged it up a ridge, under the boundary fence and into the drainage where the carcass was discovered.

The warden also spoke with another man who hunted the area that day, who showed map points where Picard was that morning. The warden went back to the site again on Jan. 14 and found the location where the photo of Picard and the deer was taken, confirming the backgrounds were the same.

FWP records showed Picard had previously obtained and hunted with a permit on HD 455, which the court documents state showed he knew he needed a special permit for the district.

Court records show Picard’s brother was also briefly charged in February with unlawful possession, shipping or transporting of game, but the charge was dismissed two days after it was filed.

A not guilty plea was entered on Picard’s behalf during this week’s hearing; a pre-trial conference, should the case get to that point, was scheduled for Aug. 5.