I believe once anyone shows themself to be a serial poacher the reprecussions should be much more significant than they seem to be. How much would that buck be worth if you owned the land he was on and had a tag to sell? Alot more than $12k I am guessing, so is that really a deterrent? Heck, I'm not shed hunter, but what does a 230+ Non-Typ go for?
Clearly this guy should be equally charged as an accessory, not just for "possessing" it and lose his priveledges for LIFE, get jail time, and pay for Fish and Game's investigation costs which should be more in the mid to high 5 figure range, not $12k.