PITTSBURGH —Three men who pleaded guilty last month to poaching charges for killing 21 white-tailed deer in Washington County last year received jail sentences, had their hunting licenses permanently revoked and were ordered to pay $6,300 in fines and restitution, the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced this week.

The three men — Ezra McClelland, 20; Julian Marth, 21; and Grant Bamberger, 20 — shot the deer while riding in a vehicle and using a spotlight, said Lt. Andy Harvey, information and education supervisor and a state warden with the Game Commission's Southwest Region Office.

Game Commission wardens received tips about the poaching incidents on Dec. 9, 2023, with nine deer shot, and on Dec. 17 with 12 deer killed between 3 and 4 a.m., Lt. Harvey said. It is illegal to spot deer with a light recreationally after 11 p.m. and during deer rifle season.

Additionally, it's unlawful — and dangerous — for people to shoot from a vehicle or while standing on a road, Lt. Harvey said. "You never know who might be on the road."

Of the 21 deer shot, six were antlered bucks.

"In this case, 21 deer is a rather large hit," Harvey said. Sometimes, poaching cases involve just one or two deer. Game Commission wardens field poaching calls statewide.

The Washington County men faced 150 charges and pleaded guilty on Sept. 18, court records show. They agreed to a seven-day sentence in the Washington County Jail, according to the Game Commission.

Two legal rifles that were used in the poaching incidents will not be returned to the men, according to the Game Commission.

Regardless of the season, hunting is not allowed during those hours, Harvey said.

The game wardens found the deer dead in fields over multiple municipalities with no attempt to retrieve or field dress them, he said. A witness recorded the vehicle's license plate number for the Dec. 17 incident, according to the Game Commission release.

"We term these cases 'thrill-seeking' for not trying to take the meat," he said.

Game wardens from Washington and Allegheny counties and the Southwest Overt Special Investigator and a K-9 handlers assisted in the investigation.

The public is urged to report poaching and wildlife crimes to the Game Commission by calling the agency's 24-hour dispatch center at 833-PGC-HUNT or 833-PGC-WILD, or the Operation Game Thief toll-free hotline at 888-PGC-8001.

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