Two Men In Greene County Receive Lifetime Hunting Bans

Two men in Greene County have been banned from hunting in Tennessee. According to the TWRA, who issued the bans, 73 year old Shelby Church and his son, 47 year old Gene Church poached deer in Greene County. TWRA officers caught the pair poaching an eight point buck from a road in Greene County last fall.

The TWRA says last fall they investigated complaints of road hunting for deer in an area of Greene County. They found that Gene Church had harvested and checked in three deer during a period of five years where he was banned from hunting. In December 2023, Gene Church plead guilty to three counts of hunting on revoked privileges and three counts of illegal possession of a deer. He was ordered to pay a $25 fine plus court costs on each charge. He was also ordered to forfeit the deer meat and was sentenced to six months in jail with time suspended. However, he must serve ten days on three of the six charges to run concurrently.

Both men are now banned from hunting for life in 46 states that make up the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact. Those banned from hunting can still fish, as long as they have a license.