Harney County teen charged in filmed mule deer buck ride

Troopers say 18-year-old's actions were recorded, widely shared

RILEY, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A widely shared video of someone climbing on and riding the back of an exhausted mule deer buck led to the arrest of an 18-year-old Harney County resident on wildlife harassment and animal abuse charges, Oregon State Police said Tuesday.

OSP Fish and Wildlife troopers received information Friday from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife about the “disturbing video shared via social media,” troopers said in a news release.

The video showed what appeared to be a young adult male climbing onto and eventually riding on the back of the exhausted deer, while it was contained in a fenced enclosure.

“Throughout the video, the mule deer buck can be heard grunting and/or bleating,” the news release stated, “and after escaping the rider, the buck jumped into a linked fence, multiple times, attempting to escape the enclosure.”

After reviewing the video, OSP troopers investigated further and identified two suspects from Riley. The primary suspect, Jacob Belcher, 18, was located on a rural Harney County ranch, where he was interviewed by troopers.

OSP said the investigation and interviews found that the deer had trapped itself in a fenced feeding enclosure, before the scenes that were recorded. The buck eventually was freed, troopers said, and its current status is unknown.

Belcher was arrested and booked into the Harney County Jail on charges of wildlife harassment and second-degree animal abuse. A second suspect who filmed the incident was identified and interviewed as well. Troopers said charges of aiding in a wildlife offense will be referred to the Harney County District Attorney’s Office.