A shot in the dark
Illegal poaching a problem in Chesterfield County
By Shariq Torres CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This deer was found in a Beaver Bridge Road yard last month. The pregnant doe was a victim of spotlighting.

It started when a mysterious, loud noise broke the midnight calm about a month ago.

"Our dogs went crazy," recalled Bob Herndon, who lives in western Chesterfield County on Beaver Bridge Road, "but I didn't see anything, so I went back to bed."

But the next morning while doing her daily chores, Herndon's wife, Ann, made a sickening discovery. There was a carcass of a dead deer on the lawn.

"My wife found the deer when she was outside watering plants," Herndon said. "She was very upset. My main concern was that someone was shooting next to my house."

The doe was the victim of "spotlighting" - shining a bright light in a deer's eyes, which temporarily blinds the animal, making it an easy target for hunters.

The game warden who investigated the scene said the wound was caused by a high-powered rifle. The fact that the bullet hadn't exited through the animal's other side was a tell-tale sign of pregnancy, the game warden said. The fetus had absorbed the bullet's impact.

Spotlighting has become a safety concern in Bob Herndon's neighborhood. Herndon's wife recently discovered a dead deer on the couple's lawn while another neighbor found buckshot in the side of his house.

"Unfortunately, spotlighting is a problem that occurs in the more rural and suburban areas that have deer," said Julia Dixon, a spokesperson for the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

This isn't the first time that Herndon's neighborhood has been targeted by spotlighters. A similar event left buckshot in the side of a neighbor's home on Beach Road, Herndon said.

The penalty for spotlighting deer is steep. If convicted, the offender has to forfeit any vehicle, firearms or crossbows used in the crime. He or she also loses hunting privileges. Spotlighting is a class two misdemeanor with a maximum of six months in prison and/or a $1,000 fine.

Usually, a first-time offender won't serve jail time, but more often than not, the people spotlighting are involved in other illegal activities as well.

"Typically, there are drugs involved, like alcohol, so there are other charges brought up against these people," said Col. Mike Bise, chief of the state Game and Inland Fisheries law enforcement wing.

Chesterfield County Supervisor Renny Humphrey, who represents the Matoaca district, said she doesn't hear about incidents of spotlighting very often. Herndon contacted her after the incident.

"It's really not an item for the Board of Supervisors," she said. "If someone suspects someone of poaching deer, then they should call the Gaming Commission. I grew up on Beach Road, and this happens every fall prior to hunting season."

Game and Inland Fisheries has known for some time that spotlighters use rural Chesterfield to poach deer. So far in 2006, the department has prosecuted six cases in the Chesterfield district, which also includes Richmond, Henrico and Hanover counties. Last year, the department charged 193 people statewide for spotlighting.

The hardest part about prosecuting these cases is literally the fly-by-night nature of the crime itself. Also, there is no profile for a typical spotlighter, but Col. Bise said a "younger generation" is predominately involved.

Those who suspect spotlighting is happening in their neighborhood or have encountered an animal that was the victim of spotlighting should call the Game and Inland Fisheries' 24-hour crime hotline at 1-800-237-5712.