December 1, 2016
From Chattanoogan.com
TWRA wildlife officers working along the Appalachian Trail in the Cherokee National Forest near Butler charged a hunter with violations related to illegal deer hunting.
Carter County Wildlife Officer Dennis Ward has documented illegal ATV tracks on Iron Mountain for several years, and while scouting out the area this year, he and fellow officer John Ripley also located several permanent treestands nearby. Last Saturday when they set out to investigate the illegal activity, they found and charged a hunter.
Officers located Dickie Tester, 66, who was deer hunting from a climbing treestand near fresh ATV tracks. Mr. Tester was not wearing fluorescent orange, which is required by wildlife law so that big game hunters can see one another while hunting. The officers also located fresh corn and a trail camera within about 20 yards of the tree stand and discovered that Tester had ridden an ATV to his hunting spot that morning. The officers charged the hunter with failure to wear fluorescent orange while big game hunting, hunting with the aid of bait, and illegal ATV use on a wildlife management area. They also seized a Winchester .270 caliber rifle and a trail camera.