In Kula, Hawaii, U.S. State officials said Monday that two men who were caught last month on a public road on Oprah Winfrey’s property on the Hawaiian island of Maui are likely to have been hunting at night without a license.
A news release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said that the two Maui men, both 19 years old, were caught just before midnight on June 21. Police found them using a hunting spotlight on a public road that goes through Winfrey’s ranch in Kula.
Even though they weren’t hunting when they were caught, police found a loaded shotgun and a loaded rifle in their truck. The state said Winfrey’s land surrounds the road where they were stopped.
It was thought that the guys were hunting on private land without permission, without a hunting license, and for other reasons. One of them was also arrested for having a semiautomatic weapon that wasn’t registered.
There are a lot of axis deer that have taken over Maui and other islands in Hawaii.
Prosecutors in Maui County will look into the case and decide if charges should be brought. County officials said that records show the guys were let go while the case was being looked into.
“Last month, DLNR contacted ranchers in the Upcountry to talk about their plans to stop illegal poaching in the area, and we agreed to work with them.” Her production business, Harpo, said in an email statement on Monday that the arrests did not happen on the property.
Source: AP
