According to a press release from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, two Greene County men, Shelby Gene Church and Gene Allen Church, have had their hunting privileges revoked for life due to multiple big game hunting violations.
In 2019, they were charged with illegally harvesting an eight-point buck deer from the road, resulting in guilty pleas and various penalties including fines, equipment loss, and forfeiture of the deer. Shelby Gene Church’s hunting privileges were revoked for life, while Gene Allen Church’s were revoked for five years.
In 2023, Gene Allen Church was found to have harvested three deer during his revocation period, leading to further charges and a plea agreement that included fines, court costs, and a six-month suspended jail sentence. Despite the revocation, individuals may still purchase Tennessee hunting and fishing licenses but are prohibited from physically hunting, and the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact prevents them from hunting in any of the participating 46 states.
What are your thoughts on these poaching cases? Do you think they have learned their lessons?
