According to wildlife officials, a guy from Tennessee was found guilty of illegally killing 15 deer over the course of more than three years, threatening a landowner with a gun while poaching deer on his property. He was also sentenced to prison and prohibited from hunting in the state for life.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency claimed that the guy entered a guilty plea on February 22 in Hawkins County, east Tennessee, for aggravated assault, using a spotlight to kill deer, hunting from a moving vehicle, and going big game hunting during a restricted season.
During the closed deer hunting season in August, he and another hunter in Rogersville utilized a spotlight to shoot a doe and a seven-point buck from a moving vehicle. The agency claimed that the individual threatened to kill the landowner and pointed a gun at him when confronted.
When a sheriff’s deputy stopped them later, they had hunting rifles and a spotlight.
In Tennessee, it is forbidden to hunt deer at night with a spotlight. According to the agency, the method includes flashing an artificial light on deer, which makes them remain still as they look at the light. As a result, the hunter can shot the deer before it flees.
Additionally, it is illegal for anyone to shoot, capture, or kill any animal from a public road.
The Whitesburg man was sentenced to six months of a four-year term for the aggravated assault charge and six months for each of the offenses related to big game hunting during closed season after entering a guilty plea last week. The agency stated that the penalties will run concurrently.
According to the organization, he lost his hunting privileges for life and was required to pay $12,500 in restitution in addition to fines and court fees. In addition, he lost 14 pairs of deer antlers, turkey parts, and deer flesh, as well as a compound bow, rifle, and spotlight.
Additionally, he was found guilty of poaching in 2021 for spotlighting, hunting from a public road, and going deer hunting in Greene County during the closed season.
The man admitted to poaching 20 deer off the road in 2020 alone, according to a statement from wildlife officer Justin Pinkston. Over a period of 3 1/2 years, he “was charged with killing or assisting in killing 15 deer illegally. Sadly, most of these deer were left lying and were never recovered.”
