Pennsylvania Game Commission wardens probe illegal killing of 8-point buck

HARFORD TWP, SUSQUEHANNA CO. (WOLF) — State game wardens are investigating the illegal killing of an 8-point white-tailed deer found near the intersection of Wolf Lake Road and Richardson Road on the evening of Friday, November 21, 2025.

Pennsylvania Game Commission investigators say the animal was discovered dead and that evidence from the scene indicates it was shot at close range from the roadway with a crossbow around midnight. The deer was reportedly left where it fell and not recovered for lawful use, a circumstance investigators described as “left to waste.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Game Commission’s Northeast Region at 1-833-PGC-HUNT or call the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-888-PGC-8001. Tips may also be submitted online at the commission’s Operation Game Thief page.

Possible penalties for unlawfully taking or possessing big game in Pennsylvania can be severe. Under the state’s Game and Wildlife Code, unlawful taking or possession of a single white-tailed deer can be charged as a summary offense or, for repeat or aggravated violations, as a misdemeanor or felony — with escalating fines, possible jail time and loss of hunting privileges for multiple years depending on the charge and number of offenses.

For example, a violation involving a single white-tailed deer can result in summary penalties and may include a multi-year suspension of hunting privileges for repeat offenses; repeated or multiple violations within the same criminal episode can be elevated to misdemeanors or even a third-degree felony in extreme cases.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission also notes that when a suspected violation involves the killing of big game, an additional $500 enhanced penalty may be added to fines imposed, and half of that enhancement (up to $250) can be paid to the person who provides information leading to a conviction through Operation Game Thief.

The commission is urging anyone who may have been in the area around midnight on Nov. 21 or who may have dashcam, trail-camera footage, cellphone video, or other information to come forward. Tips may be made anonymously. Officials said the case remains under active investigation.

If you have information, call 1-833-PGC-HUNT (Game Commission Northeast Region) or 1-888-PGC-8001 (Operation Game Thief), or submit a tip online at the Game Commission’s reporting page.