Poachers Busted Shooting Deer from 18-Wheeler

Mississippi poachers allegedly shot deer out of the cab of semi truck

According to “The Clarion-Ledger” four poachers have been caught in Newton County, Mississippi after police caught them shooting at a deer at night. Like many poachers, they shot at the deer from a vehicle, but this was not a typical case. These poachers allegedly shot at the deer from the cab of an 18-wheeler.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it,” Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks spokesman Jim Walker told the Clarion-Ledger.

Officers were watching an area where they’d received complaints of head lighting of deer happening. They were surprised when the 18-wheeler truck showed up at 1:20 a.m. and someone shot at a deer out the window with a shotgun.

When the officers stopped and made contact with the truck, they found there were actually four people inside. Officers found the Mossberg shotgun with a pistol grip loaded with buckshot they allegedly used hidden under a mattress in the back of the semi.

Now John David Upton of Newton, Dustin Roy Alexander of Little Rock Mississippi, Dakota Lace Presley of Meridian and Ashley Knight of Little Rock Mississippi are facing charges of hunting without a license, hunting with the aid of a light, hunting from a road, and illegal shot size.

Walker told the Clarion-Ledger the four could have enjoyed a much more affordable evening out if they’d gone to the movies or bowling instead. Their decision to poach deer instead could cost each of them up to $6,000 in fines, and that’s not including the court costs.

“It would have been cheaper, but obviously that didn’t work out,” Walker said.

By Travis Smola