Two men from Harrison, Montana, were found guilty of various hunting offenses across Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin counties. Jeremy Michael Hill and Ryan Francis McGuire faced multiple charges after it was discovered that they had illegally killed several deer over several years. Following a report from a concerned citizen about a wasted whitetail buck in Hill’s possession, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks started an extensive year-long investigation. The findings indicated that Hill had killed numerous antlered deer each year over three years, often using hunting licenses from family members to tag the illegally obtained deer.
McGuire reportedly aided and abetted Hill by hunting deer from a vehicle after legal shooting hours. Both men faced charges that included unlawful possession of a game animal, hunting or killing overlimit on deer, unlawful hunting from a public highway, unlawful hunting from a vehicle, unlawful use of equipment while hunting (spotlighting), waste of a game animal, failure to obtain landowner permission for hunting, and failing to validate a general deer license.
As a result, Hill received a 36-month suspension of his hunting and fishing privileges along with fines amounting to $2,980, while McGuire was sentenced to a 24-month suspension and fined $670. Due to Montana being part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, losing privileges in one state also means losing them in all 50 states. Montana game wardens depend on the public to act as good witnesses and report any wildlife violations they observe. Individuals with information about wildlife or state land crimes are encouraged to visit tipmont.mt.gov to share details, and they might qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.
