July 19, 2019
A former cable TV host who killed two deer — including one he dubbed “Unicorn Buck” — for an episode of “Fear No Evil” filmed in Indiana has pleaded guilty to federal charges in a poaching case.
Christopher Brackett, 41, admitted he killed two bucks on the same day in Jefferson County while filming his Outdoor Channel show in December 2013, according to an Indiana Department of Natural Resources news release.
State law limits hunters to one buck per season.
Brackett also admitted transporting “Unicorn Buck,” an 11-pointer nicknamed for its unique antlers, across state lines to his home in East Peoria, Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois said in a news release.
Brackett killed “Unicorn Buck” just minutes after he had killed a smaller buck, authorities said. He featured the “Unicorn Buck” kill on an episode of his show that aired in 2014.
“Brackett,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, “admitted that he instructed his cameraman and producer to hide footage of the kill of the first, (a) smaller eight-point buck.”
As investigators were closing in, Brackett also ordered an employee to destroy the evidence: an eight-point rack, the government said.
He pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful transportation of wildlife. Under terms of a plea agreement, Brackett agreed to probation and to be banned from hunting worldwide for 30 months.
He also agreed to pay $3,500 in restitution to Indiana and to pay a $26,500 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 5.