Video: Deer Poachers Caught in the Act by Home Surveillance System
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.30.17
We hear about these instances all the time, but this particular poaching case is unique in that the two poachers were shooting so close to homes that a home security camera caught them targeting several deer as the animals ran through the backyard.
The TWRA explained everything in a post on Facebook:
On March 19, TWRA Wildlife Officer Greg Julian was contacted by a homeowner on Lake Springs Rd. in La Follette who said that his home surveillance system had caught on video two men deer hunting on his property. The homeowner received an alert on his phone and observed the men walking across his lawn, one of which was carrying a gun. The homeowner yelled at them through the security system causing them to run away. After reviewing the videos, the homeowner realized that they had shot at some deer in the afternoon and came back after dark to look for them. The men did not have permission to be on the property and deer season had closed on Jan. 8th.
Officer Julian and Officer Jeff Roberson reviewed the videos and were able to identify the men and locate them for an interview. They admitted to shooting at the deer and said they had hit one of them but it got up and ran away when they located it. After the investigation, Officer Julian charged them with multiple wildlife violations:
Donnie Marcum, age 65 from LaFollette was charged with hunting from a public road, hunting in closed season, and hunting from a motor vehicle. Tyler Marcum, age 18 from LaFollette, was charged with hunting from a public road, hunting in closed season, hunting from motor vehicle, hunting big game with rimfire ammunition, and hunting without hunter education. Both men appeared in Campbell Co. General Sessions Court on April 27th.
Donnie Marcum pled guilty to hunting from a public road and hunting in a closed season. He was given probation for one year and was ordered to pay a $100 fine and $325.50 in court costs.
Tyler Marcum pled guilty to hunting in closed season. He was put on 30 days of probation, his firearm was declared contraband and forfeited to the state and his hunting privileges were suspended for one year. He was also ordered to pay a $100 fine and $325.50 in court costs.
Here’s the video showing several deer running through a residential neighborhood, and if the volume is up on your laptop or smartphone, you can hear three shots from a rimfire gun as the deer run through the yards:
