COLUMBUS — In the wake of a joint investigation by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the office of Ohio Atty. Gen. Dave Yost, eight people have been indicted by a Gallia County grand jury on multiple felony charges of poaching white-tailed deer and stealing meat from hunters.
Investigators found a deer-meat processing operation known as A&E Deer Processing and associates poached 30 Ohio white-tailed deer and skimmed more than 700 pounds of meat from deer that hunters paid to have processed by the business. A&E Deer Processing then sold the stolen meat for a profit.
“Deer hunting is a deep-rooted tradition in Ohio, with generations having been taught the values of conservation, responsibility and discipline,” Yost said. “This level of corruption violates those tenets, and protecting and preserving this part of our heritage are important to all sportsmen and -women.”
Each of the past two years, more than 180,000 white-tailed deer were harvested in Ohio, according to ODNR.
Yost lauded the investigative efforts of ODNR and the work of Environmental Enforcement Section of his office that led to the indictments. The eight people charged face a combined 91 criminal counts.
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Taking meat and selling for a profit. Shame shame shame
Although being a farmer I’m not really a deer lover, right is right and wrong is wrong. Good work by the ODNR and the AG’s office. This kind of blight casts a shadow on the many legitimate processors who are doing an honest job.