Animal rights activists are calling for a 21-year-old Vermont hunter to face unprecedented animal cruelty charges after he shot and paralyzed a deer before posing with it for social media posts instead of ending its suffering.
Logan Bogie, from East Ryegate, shot and maimed the animal with a crossbow last fall.
But rather than end its misery on the spot, the hunter decided to pose up with the creature and film himself petting it for social media, according to an animal-rights group.
The footage shows the deer panting and bleeding while Bogie strokes it and calls it ‘good boy’.
Under Vermont legislation, animal cruelty laws do not apply to hunting, trapping and fishing. But, the group demands he face the counts.
Bogie has been charged with 18 other wildlife crimes for poaching with a suspended license – as his relatives are also accused of illegal hunting.
Activists claim Bogie’s behavior was ‘egregiously cruel’ and are now calling for him to face prosecution under animal abuse laws, which is punishable by up to a year in jail.
Brenna Galdenzi, president of Protect Our Wildlife Vermont, said: ‘It seems clear to us that Bogie subjected the deer to prolonged pain and appeared to relish in it by videotaping the frightened, suffering animal.
‘What he did fell outside of the bounds of what is considered lawful hunting and for that reason, he should be charged with cruelty to animals.’
The heartbreaking footage was discovered by a state warden during the course of an investigation into alleged poaching by Bogie, his grandfather Calvin Bogie Jr, 72, and Wyatt Roy, 18.
Bogie faces 18 criminal charges for allegedly poaching seven deer and a black bear while his hunting license was suspended last year.
DailyMail.com has contacted Bogie for comment about the call for new charges.
His grandfather faces five charges related to allegedly tagging and checking in deer Bogie shot illegally, while Roy was accused of helping drive the kills home.
Bogie told a state warden who interviewed him that he shot the eight-point deer seen in the video from his car and did not initially realize it was dead.
He then drove 45 minutes to friend’s house for help lifting the animal back into his truck.
But after noticing it was still alive, he extended the deer’s agony by driving it five miles to his grandfather’s house and posing up with it for social media posts.
Wildlife warden Will Seegers wrote in his affidavit: ‘The buck can be seen panting, likely with some type of spinal trauma from a broadhead [arrow] or bullet wound, rendering it mostly paralyzed.
‘One of the videos shows Logan petting the deer and saying ‘good boy,’ as if it were a dog or other pet.’
Caledonia County State’s Attorney Jessica Zaleski branded Bogie’s behavior ‘disgusting’, but said she will not be pursuing criminal charges as the actions do not ‘fit into our animal cruelty statute’.
She told the Boston Globe: ‘My hands are tied with what the law says. I’m not going to violate the law to make a point.’
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This article by Bethan SExton was first published by The Daily Mail on 10 October 2023. Lead Image: Activists are calling for Logan Bogie, 21, to be charged under animal cruelty laws after footage emerged of him prolonging the suffering of the deer (pictured) which he maimed with a crossbow.
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