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Harrisburg man cited for shooting deer with bow and arrow in Harrisburg residential neighborhood

HARRISBURG — A Harrisburg man has been cited by the Pennsylvania Game Commission after he allegedly shot a deer with a bow and arrow in a residential neig...
Deer

HARRISBURG — A Harrisburg man has been cited by the Pennsylvania Game Commission after he allegedly shot a deer with a bow and arrow in a residential neighborhood in Susquehanna Township last week, according to the Game Commission and a Pennlive.com report.

Brian K. Murray, 25, was charged with six violations in all. Four are related to hunting within 50 yards of a home without the homeowner’s permission and failing to wear the required amount of florescent orange protective gear, while two are related to unlawfully killing a deer, which carries a fine of up to $800 and a jail sentence of up to one month. The other charges carry a maximum fine of $500 each, plus court costs.

The Game Commission began its investigation after a homeowner in the neighborhood called police when Murray knocked on her door and asked for her permission to track the deer, which he had already shot with a bow and arrow.  Murray told the homeowner had had been working on a roofing project across the street when he saw the eight-point buck, the homeowner told police.

The homeowner was concerned about the potential danger of hunting in a residential area where children and pets commonly roam in back yards, and she was bothered that someone would shoot a deer there.

A police officer who responded to the call discovered the deer, wounded by still alive, and killed it, the Game Commission told Pennlive. The officer then called the Game Commission.

Murray was cooperative, the Game Commission told Pennlive. He was initially allowed to take the deer home, pending the outcome of the investigation. He later agreed to hand over the deer’s antlers and meat, which will be donated to an organization that distributes it to the homeless, the Game Commission said.

The Game Commission says it is legal to hunt on private property if the hunter has permission from the owner, but it is not legal to hunt within 50 yards of an occupied structure without the owner’s consent.

Murray was within 40 yards of at least four homes and within 50 yards of a fifth, the Game Commission said. Murray was cited for violating the safety boundaries of the four homes, but received a warning about the fifth, according to the Game Commission.

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