COLUMBUS — Two men from Mississippi have been banned from hunting in Ohio for 3 years after poaching white-tailed deer.
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The two men pleaded guilty to multiple charges after poaching white-tailed deer in Southeast Ohio and were ordered to pay more than $15,000 in restitution, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
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Dawson Brown, 25, of Poplarville, Miss., pleaded guilty to seven charges in Belmont County Court related to unlawfully taking white-tailed deer.
The charges include hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, hunting deer with a firearm during the archery season, hunting outside of legal shooting hours, possessing untagged deer parts, hunting without a nonresident hunting license, hunting without a nonresident deer permit, and spotlighting.
Five firearms, a spotlight, venison, and four antlered deer skulls were forfeited to the Division of Wildlife. Two of the antler sets were analyzed for trophy restitution and scored 166-2/8 and 154-5/8.
Brown was ordered to pay $13,169.37 in restitution and $865 in fines and court costs. He also has to serve three years of probation and is banned from hunting in Ohio for three years.
Jase D. Smith, 24, of Poplarville, Miss., pleaded guilty to four charges in Muskingum County Court, including hunting without permission, hunting without a nonresident deer permit, hunting without a nonresident hunting license, and failing to game check a deer after harvest.
He also pleaded guilty in Belmont County Court to possession of untagged deer parts.
In Muskingum County, Smith was ordered to pay $1,885 in restitution and $249.25 in fines and court costs, serve 30 days in jail, and is banned from hunting in Ohio for three years.
In Belmont County, he was ordered to pay $605 in fines and court costs and complete three years of probation. He was also sentenced to 60 days in jail, but that was suspended.
“The Belmont County court also revoked his Ohio hunting privileges, concurrent with the suspension from Muskingum County Court,” the ODNR Division of Wildlife said.
A crossbow, spotlights, deer mount, and two antlered deer skulls were forfeited to the Division of Wildlife.
Both Brown and Smith were entered into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which is an agreement that recognizes the suspension of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses in member states, according to the ODNR.
Both men will likely lose hunting rights in 47 other states, including Mississippi, for three years.
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