Tennessee Lifetime Hunting Ban Imposed On 2 Men Accused Of Poaching 40 Deer, Posting Mocking Photo

Two Tennessee hunters earned the harshest hunting penalties in state history. After illegally killing as many as 40 deer, they were handed lifetime bans from hunting in 44 states by Tennessee’s wildlife agency, the Tennessean reported Tuesday.

The two hunters, identified as Densibel Calzada, 23, and Eddy Albert, 21, took photos and videos that mocked the animals. “We will never know how many deer these two killed, but we believe they could have poached at least 40,” Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) Sgt. Matt Brian told the Tennessean.

Another officer described photos and video to the Tennessean found after the TWRA secured search warrants for the homes of Calzada and Albert. “They were getting on top of the deer and doing all sorts of things,” TWRA information officer Doug Markham told the paper. “They had one where the deer was still alive and they blew his head off. They were high-fiving each other after showing the hole where they had shot one at nighttime. I didn’t see all of the videos, but the officer said some of it was just really grotesque.”

The two hunters were charged with killing deer at night on private property and out of season and, along with the lifetime bans, had their weapons confiscated. They were also ordered to pay court costs, $5,000 in restitution, and perform 100 hours of community service while on 18 months’ probation.

Tennessee deer hunters legally harvested 167,306 deer this season. TWRA officials noted the two who received lifetime bans repeatedly broke the rules followed by legal hunters.

“These guys have no ethics. You hope they grow out of it,” Markham said to WSMV-TV. “Our real hunters have ethics and care about what goes on, and they are the sportsmen that support our management in Tennessee.”

The 44 states where Calzada and Albert are banned are part of an interstate agreement. The closest states in which the two could hunt are Nebraska and New Jersey, WSMV reported.