TAYLOR COUNTY, Iowa — Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report four men from outside of Iowa have plead guilty in court, to the illegal taking of deer and other charges, associated with a hunt in Taylor County. On Wednesday, November 7th, Iowa DNR Conservation Officers Andrea Bevington and Adam Arnold were checking hunters in deer camps in Taylor County when they observed one group of hunters with an untagged deer.  After interviewing the hunters, the conservation officers uncovered numerous hunting violations including falsifying residency and hunting with Missouri deer licenses in Iowa.

Authorities say 39-year old Davis Dunlap, of Willow Spring, North Carolina pled guilty to one count of no non-resident any-sex deer bow license and one count of no non-resident antlerless deer bow license with fines totaling over $1,250; 29-year old Nathan Granger, of DeQuincy, Louisiana pled guilty to one count of illegal take of an antlerless deer and one count of no non-resident antlerless deer bow license.  Fines and liquidated damages totaled over $2,090 plus condemnation of a bow and other hunting equipment.; 52-year old Ralph Thompson, of Dry Creek, Louisiana pled guilty to two counts of illegal take of an antlerless deer, one count of false claim of resident deer license and one (1) count of no non-resident any-sex deer bow license.  Fines and liquidated damages totaled over $4,400 plus condemnation of a bow and other hunting equipment.

27-year old Clint Bushnell, of Dry Creek, Louisiana pled guilty to one count of illegal take of an antlered deer (over 150 pts), one count of illegal take of an antlerless deer and one count of no non-resident any-sex deer license.  Fines and liquidated damages totaled over $11,200 plus condemnation of a bow and other hunting equipment.

Total fines, liquidated damages and equipment condemned exceeded $23,600.   Four deer were donated to the DNR HUSH program.