Two men were charged with using a high-powered light to spotlight deer. This practice makes the deer temporarily blinded, freezing them in their tracks so they can be shot.
Police say that while in the area of Cross Road in Mardela Oct. 1, they observed a vehicle stop near a soy field. Moments later, they observed a light shone into the field from the driver’s side window of the vehicle.
“Officers conducted a conservation stop and identified Wayne Waters Jr., 30, as the driver and Emily Howard, 28, as the passenger. According to officers, Howard was holding a cocked crossbow and Waters admitted to shining the light into the field,” the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported. “He told officers that he was attempting to locate bucks. When police searched the vehicle, they found a shotgun, crossbow bolts, shotgun shells, headlamps, and various ammunition.”
All of their items were seized by officers and they were both charged with hunting deer with spotlights, punishable with a $2,000 fine, six months in jail and revocation of their hunting licenses for two to five years.