BF Grant Poachers Shoot Fawn At Night From Car Sunroof

B.F. Grant WMA: A significant amount of the time and effort put in by DNR Law Enforcement Division officers occurs on state lands, such as Parks and WMAs. An example of why that’s important took place the evening of Sept. 22, 2018 at B.F. Grant WMA. This quality-managed area offers popular quota hunts during firearms season, and hunters who burn priority points to get a hunt permit wouldn’t be happy to hear what two men from Stone Mountain were up to.

Cpl. Bubba Stanford was conducting surveillance from the campground located on Hearnsville Road at B.F. Grant. As Cpl. Stanford sat in his truck, he watched as a dark-colored passenger car traveled slowly west along Hearnsville Road.

“I could see a subject shining a light from side to side and across a hayfield,” Cpl. Stanford wrote in the incident report. “As the vehicle passed my location the light struck my patrol vehicle, and the light immediately was cut off.”

Cpl. started up his truck and radioed Sgt. Bo Kelly to head his way to assist.

“I activated my blue lights and stopped the vehicle, which was a Honda Accord, black in color,” Cpl. Stanford said.

There were two men in the vehicle, and it quickly became apparent to the officer that there was a language barrier, as neither Asian man could speak or understand English very well. Cpl. Stanford saw a deer rifle in the floorboard or the rear seat.

“The rifle was a Remington Model 770 .270 with a Burris scope and had a freshly spent round in the chamber with live rounds in the magazine. Various skinning knifes, rubber gloves, camo clothing, a hand-held light and a head lamp were located in the vehicle,” Cpl. Stanford said. “A .380 Bersa handgun was located in a storage box in the dash. When we searched the trunk, a small fawn deer was located that had recently been shot.

Evidence—including a dead fawn—collected when two men were charged with night-hunting out of the sunroof of a Honda Accord on B.F. Grant WMA during archery season.

“The driver was identified as Mr. A Le, of Stone Mountain. The passenger, who did not have identification, was able to write down a name of Paoy Hler and date of birth. The suspects were able to demonstrate that the shooter, Mr. Hler, was riding on the roof of the car via the sunroof and was using the light.

“A GSP Trooper transported both suspects to the Putnam County jail, while Sgt. Kelly awaited the tow truck. Both suspects were charged with hunting deer at night, hunting from a motor vehicle and hunting from a public road.”