Carter J. Hickey admitted to illegal hunting and poaching across at least 17 states
Credit: Ohio Department of Natural Resources
NEED TO KNOW
- Carter J. Hickey admitted to illegal hunting and poaching across at least 17 states
- He was fined $28,500, sentenced to jail time and banned from hunting for five years
- Hickey must also complete probation, community service and forfeit hunting equipment used in the violations
A 21-year-old Ohio man has been ordered to issue a public apology on social media after admitting to a string of illegal hunting and poaching offenses.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, Carter J. Hickey of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, first came to the attention of wildlife officials in May 2025 after the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife received numerous complaints about his hunting activities.
The investigation eventually grew into a multistate case. On May 20, Hickey pleaded guilty in New Philadelphia Municipal Court to 17 wildlife-related offenses. A few months later, on Aug. 4, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced details of the investigation, writing that Hickey took wildlife during closed seasons, illegally possessed animals, hunted without permission and used vehicles to run over animals.
The agency said he “violated wildlife laws in at least 17 states and had even more on his radar.”
Hickey ultimately received a lengthy list of penalties. He was ordered to pay more than $12,000 in restitution, $5,500 in fines and an additional $11,000 in penalties, bringing the total to $28,500. He was also ordered to pay $5,000 to Ohio’s Turn In a Poacher program.
Credit: Ohio Department of Natural Resources
In addition, Hickey must serve 15 days in jail, complete two years of probation and perform 80 hours of community service. He is prohibited from hunting or trapping for five years and was ordered to forfeit three firearms, a bow, hunting blinds, decoys and other equipment authorities said was used in his illegal activities.
But the court also targeted another part of Hickey’s activities: his social media presence.
While carrying out his illegal hunting activities, Hickey used TikTok to brag about his exploits and spread false information about what he was doing, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to post a public apology on his social media accounts.
Hickey was also required to write a letter of apology to the city of Dover for trespassing and unlawfully taking a 10-point buck from a public park.
“Poaching damages far more than one species, it harms trust and puts honest hunters at a disadvantage,” FWS wrote. “It steals opportunities from families who hope to pass down responsible outdoor traditions and threatens the very wildlife populations we work to conserve.”
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