Three Illinois teens were accused of illegally taking more than a dozen deer during nighttime hours when hunting is illegal in the state.
“All of the bucks involved in this case had their heads removed and their bodies left or dumped in the area in which they were killed. No meat was kept from any deer involved,” said a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
A total of 13 deer, including 11 antlered bucks, were allegedly taken by two 18-year-olds from Olney and a third unnamed juvenile, the DNR said. Investigators said one of the deer was killed October 26, 2014, and the rest were killed between the hours of sunset and sunrise, the DNR said. State law restricts deer hunting in Illinois to the hours between a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset.
“The subjects had been boiling the buck skulls to make skull mounts,” the DNR spokesman said.
Caleb Diel and Dylan Mitchell were each charged with felony resource theft, hunting by use of lights from vehicle and unlawful hunting deer at night. Diel was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with no valid FOID. The juvenile was charged with unlawful hunting by use of lights from a vehicle, unlawful hunting deer at night, and unlawful take of deer.
Investigators seized the buck heads, a .243 rifle and a 2002 Dodge 1500 pickup truck as evidence in the case.
