CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn. — A Caryville man pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally killing an elk in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (NCWMA) in Campbell County in December.
The cow elk was found lying dead in a food plot in the Red Ash area of NCWMA on Dec. 23. It was wearing a GPS collar as part of a 3-year elk research study with the University of Tennessee Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries.
An autopsy revealed the animal had been shot, and a bullet was recovered from the carcass.
Sean Doney, 33, of Caryville, was identified as the suspect after a reward brought in several tips from the public about the killing.
After a lengthy investigation and assistance from Eighth Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler’s office, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Wildlife Officer Brenden Marlow charged Doney after he was identified by members of the public in result of rewards offered by Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association and Pine Mountain Longbeards Chapter of the NWTF, according to TWRA.
As a result of his guilty plea, Doney faces 30 days of jail time for Hunting Big Game in Closed Season, Hunting Without a License, Hunting without Hunter Education, Illegal Take of Big Game, and Failure to Retrieve Game on a WMA.
He will also pay $350 in restitution to the TWRA.