Accused poacher of world-record deer pleads not guilty

Troy Alan Reinke, the Cannon Falls, Minn., man accused of poaching a trophy Goodhue County buck, entered a not guilty plea Thursday during his first court appearance in the case.

Reinke was charged last month with 13 poaching-related counts. Authorities claim he shot a world-class buck and two other deer illegally in October.

Department of Natural Resources officials said tests of the trophy buck's hide revealed lead fragments, indicating it had been shot with a firearm, which also would have been illegal, since Reinke claimed to have shot the deer during bow season.

Mike Longaecker is a reporter for The Republican Eagle in Red Wing, Minn., which is owned by Forum Communications Co.