A South Carolina man has pleaded guilty in Mount Vernon Municipal Court to 12 violations related to deer and wild turkey hunting in Knox County. He has been ordered to pay restitution and fines, as well as forfeit his hunting implements.
According to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) news release dated January 13, Christopher M. Waters, 44, from Loris, South Carolina, entered the guilty plea in November 2024. Waters was ordered to pay $4,110.67 in restitution and $300 in fines. Additionally, he forfeited his hunting implements and had his hunting license revoked for three years.
The news release detailed that the 12 counts against Waters included hunting without a license, hunting without a deer permit, possession of white-tailed deer without a valid game check confirmation number, possession of turkey taken in violation of law, spotlighting, hunting deer after hours, using a motor vehicle while hunting deer, failure to game check deer (two counts), leaving deer in possession of another without a valid game check confirmation number (two counts), and using a rifle other than a straight-walled cartridge rifle for hunting deer.
Two other defendants involved in the case also pleaded guilty to multiple violations. Cody Muncie, 35, from Howard, admitted guilt to charges including failure to game check a deer and providing false information when game checking a deer. He was ordered to pay $5,741.25 in restitution and $200 in fines. Muncie also forfeited all evidence and had his hunting license revoked for two years. Douglas Hartman, 40, from Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to game check a deer among other charges. He was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and $200 in fines while forfeiting all evidence; his hunting license was revoked for two years.
The ODNR's Division of Wildlife emphasizes its commitment to enforcing laws that protect Ohio's wildlife. The public is encouraged to report any wildlife violations by calling the Turn In A Poacher hotline at 1-800-POACHER (1-800-762-2437). Reports are kept anonymous and information leading to a conviction may result in a reward.
