Well I hope all went well with the surgery.
As for the poaching, I already reported in my cousin's husband for shooting more deer than allowed. He figured that because he hunted right behind his house he could get them home without tagging them and butcher them up himself.
As far as I know the Game comm. never caught him in the act.
As for myself, during an anterless season several years ago I made a great shot on a "doe" at about 350 yds with my .270. It turned out my "doe" was a small forkhorn with antlers only as tall as his ears. I tagged it with my anterless tag as required and called the local WCO. After meeting him and explaining what had happened all I had to do was pay the $25 accidental kill and normally the WCO would take the animal but in this case he allowed me to keep it. He said he would rather me have the deer than issue me a new tag and then he would have one less hunter in the woods to worry about.