Wisconsin: Beloved deer named Bowtie, who brought joy to residents for years, shot and killed by arrow IN A PUBLIC PARK

WISCONSIN -- Members of a community in Wisconsin are upset over the poaching of a deer in a public park. A man is accused of killing the deer with a crossbow on Sunday.

But it wasn't just any deer. The animal was viewed by many as a member of the community.

"Whoever did this I think must be a very callous person,” walker Ray Hamilton said. A trait Hamilton doesn't usually think about as he walks the Oak Leaf Trail.

RIP Bowtie

Another hiker was taking a walk in the park Sunday afternoon. He stopped to take a picture of the majestic deer. Those who frequent the park have named him Bowtie.

Suddenly an arrow sailed through the air and hit Bowtie.

"It kind of reminds me of the Cecil the Lion thing. Apparently this deer was like a big pet almost for people in the area that knew him,” Hamilton said.

The hiker says he ran to the hunter who was calling his wife to say he killed a deer. The hiker made his own call to 911. Police arrived with a Department of Natural Resources official. The hunter disappeared.

"It just seems to me it's pretty unsportsmanlike to do something like this, as well as discharging some sort of weapon in a park where children come to play, things like that,” Hamilton said.

A local photographer chronicled Bowtie through his 9.5 years of life. Even capturing him on video. Randy Crawford's nature photos featured Bowtie on calendars, outdoor magazine covers, and websites.

“We found multiple violations, citations are going to be issued," said Marcus Medina, a warden. The warden was able to catch up to the poacher.

“Milwaukee County does have an ordinance saying you cannot hunt in their parks," Medina said. Some say it's not enough.

Social media is filling the spaces below pictures of Bowtie with messages of loss, the loss of a beautiful park animal so many have loved watching for so many years.

Officials say they revoked the man's hunting license for a year, took away his crossbow, and gave him at least $1,000 in citations.

Pathetic punishment. 

(AZ Family - Dec 16, 2015)