Two Evansville Men Charged with Poaching White-Tailed Deer

(VANDERBURG CO.) – Two Evansville men were charged with poaching white tail deer.

Police arrested 21-year-old AustinĀ VanBritson, and 19-year-old Garrett Hoss, deer during the 2018 hunting season.

VanBritson and Hoss have entered into an informal deferral program through the Vanderburgh County Superior Court on April 26, 2019.Ā  HeĀ received aĀ two-year revocation of hunting privileges,Ā wasĀ ordered to attend a Hunter Education Course,Ā received 24 hours of community service, VanBritson forfeited the rifle and Hoss his bow used to take the deer.Ā In addition to court-ordered fines and penalties,Ā each wereĀ ordered to pay a $500 replacement fee to the DNR for the illegally taken deer.Ā 

Indiana Conservation Officers received an anonymousĀ tip on Oct. 31, 2018, thatĀ aĀ white-tailedĀ deer had been illegally taken in Vanderburgh County the previous day near the Thunderbolt Pass Golf Course in Evansville.Ā 

IndianaĀ Conservation Officers Keith Wildeman and Matt Porter responded to conduct surveillance of the area.Ā After several hours, VanBritsonĀ andĀ Hoss arrived to retrieve theĀ illegally takenĀ deer, and the officers apprehended them in the act.

Investigators determined that VanBritson shot anĀ eight-point buck using a .270 caliber rifle onĀ the previous dayĀ after legal hunting hours.

VanBritsonĀ toldĀ the officers he shot the deer as it was standing in a bean field on the north side of Petersburg Road across from the golf course.

VanBritsonĀ who was in his vehicle waited for a break in traffic, stood up through the sunroof of his vehicle and shot across the roadwayĀ with hisĀ high-powered rifle.

VanBritson and Hoss returned the next morning and located the wounded buck. VanBritson then shot and killed it with a bow and arrow. The men then left the scene, intending to return after dark to retrieve the deer. 

Both faced multiple charges,Ā includingĀ the illegalĀ taking of aĀ white-tailedĀ deer, shootingĀ across aĀ public roadway, shooting from aĀ motorizedĀ conveyance, use ofĀ artificialĀ light to takeĀ white-tailedĀ deer, hunting withoutĀ landownerĀ consent, huntingĀ without aĀ validĀ license, and hunting with aĀ firearm in aĀ closedĀ season.Ā 

In a separate and unrelated incident in January 2018, VanBritson and Hoss were charged with hunting without landowner consent and illegal possession of a white-tailed deer in Posey County.

To report hunting or fishing violations please call 1-800-TIP-IDNR or the DNR Law Enforcement Central Dispatch (24 hours a day) at 812-837-9536. 

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