A 23-year-old South Georgia man is dead in connection with an illegal hunting incident.
Deer hunting season is underway, and the Georgia Dept of Natural Resources is warning of the dangers of hunting without a license and in a legal hunting area.
It happened in the overnight hours of Saturday in Wheeler County.
According to DNR Law Enforcement spokesman Mark McKinnon, five adults were illegally hunting deer at night from motor vehicles with no big game hunting license when the 23-year-old male was shot and killed.
The DNR’s Critical Reconstruction Team is still investigating the incident.
Game wardens arrested 57-year-old Howard Benjie Hartley of Glenwood, Georgia.
He’s charged with felony involuntary manslaughter, hunting deer at night, hunting from a motor vehicle, and hunting big game from a public road.
Currently, only archery deer hunting is allowed.
Firearms deer hunting runs from October 17 to January 10, 2027.
In order to legally hunt deer in Georgia, hunters must have a valid Georgia hunting license, a big game license, and a current deer harvest record.
Hunter education is required for anyone born on or after January 1, 1961.
Additionally, every harvested deer must be reported through Georgia Game Check.
A complete list of deer hunting rules and regulations can be found online at GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer info.