Four hunters from Indiana have pled guilty and paid fines in a southern Illinois poaching case, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The four hunters were accused of deer hunting with rifles without required permits or hunting licenses and had two untagged, harvested deer with them. They pled guilty in Williamson County to unlawful use of a rifle.
The four hunters were sentenced to 1 year of supervision, forfeited four rifles and paid $5,000 in fines, according to a recent IDNR news release.
Illinois Conservation Police donated the untagged deer to a local animal rehabilitator to help feed injured wildlife.
“Our Conservation Police go to great efforts to catch those who violate our laws and the Williamson County State’s Attorney’s Office has again proven to be a strong ally in protecting our resources,” Sergeant Kris Taylor, with the Department of Natural Resources, said in the release.
This story has been updated.