OSAGE COUNTY, Mo. — Authorities have submitted charges against four juveniles in connection to a deer poaching investigation, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) said.
Osage County Agent Katie Stoner began the investigation last October after the bodies of six deer were found shot and dumped in the Bonnots Mill area, MDC posted on its Facebook page. No parts of the deer were attempted to be harvested for food.
Charges include shooting deer with the aid of artificial light, shooting deer during a close season, wanton waste, and shooting deer from a public roadway, the department said. Authorities did not share the identities of the four juveniles.
"Throughout the following months interviews took place with suspects and reports steadily came in that eventually led to the perpetrators," Stoner told 5 On Your Side. "After interviewing each of the individuals, which turned out to be juveniles, it was determined that they had shot the deer from the roadway, in field, with use of artificial light between the hours of 10:00 pm and 1:00 am."
MDC's "Operation Game Thief" focuses on cracking down on poaching throughout Missouri. Potential examples of poaching include:
- Selling different types of animal products like venison, fish or small game to acquaintances or at work.
- Collecting live animals and selling them
- Hunting without a permit.
- Collecting native seeds, plants, or roots on public lands
People who think they've witnessed a poaching incident could be given a reward in the event of the poacher's arrest.
"If your information results in an arrest and you’ve asked to be considered for a reward, your agent will refer the request to a Operation Game Thief citizen board," the department said. "That board assigns rewards ranging from $50 to $1,000 based on the severity of the violation."
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