DUPLIN COUNTY, N.C. – Two men have been found guilty in a case of illegally spotlighting and killing 15 deer in Duplin County back in November.

An anonymous tip to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s tipline, NC WILDTIP, lead to the initial bust, involving five individuals with a combined 166 charges, according to the Wildlife Resources Commission.

Dylan Scott of New Hanover County and Nicholas Rackley of Duplin County were ordered to pay $9,030 in replacement costs for illegally killing the deer in Duplin County.

“It’s a big penalty we hope sends a strong message,” said Captain Chad Arnold, who heads NCWRC’s Investigative Unit and NC WILDTIP program. “We typically don’t see punishments like this, but we also typically don’t find individuals who kill 15 deer in one night’s illegal escapades.” 

Wildlife officials say, in the past six months alone, NCWRC has received 598 tips through NC WILDTIP and rewarded a total of $3,478.

With the unofficial start of summer underway, a lot more people are out fishing, boating and spending time in nature.

There are more than 200 sworn, full-time wildlife law enforcement officers across North Carolina. They have the authority to arrest for state and federal violations, including any criminal offense committed in their presence.

Officer Ty Walker is one of them, with a year-and-a-half on the job, preparing to spend his first full summer out on area lakes with the law enforcement division.

“I hunt fish, and I’m big into conservation, and I just want the future generation to be able to enjoy the outdoors the same way I have,” Walker said. “I feel like, this job is a good way to kind of, kind of give back and try to do my part in ensuring that that happens.”

Unlike many law enforcement agencies, the wildlife division’s officers often work alone, without backup.

“Most of the time we are working by ourselves. We do have a lot of training to try to prepare for any situation that we might run into,” Walker said.

“There’s always the sheriff's departments and highway patrol if we if we really need backup, you know, quick,” Walker said.

While many law enforcement agencies across the state and nation are struggling with department shortages, that’s not the case with the wildlife division, according to Lt. Forest Orr.

Orr says they received more than 1,000 applications for 25-30 positions available right now, with a class of new prospects graduating from their law enforcement training in July.

As per wildlife officials, all wildlife officer candidates are required to pass an extensive background, psychological and physical screening prior to entering a vigorous 30-week accredited academy conducted by the Division of Enforcement.

Graduates are then placed with a veteran wildlife officer for six months’ field training experience. Wildlife officers are required to meet the annual 24-hour minimum in-service training requirement mandated for state law enforcement officers.

If you’d like to learn more, you can go to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s website, and if you ever have an anonymous tip, you can text keyword WILDTIP and the tip information to TIP411 (847411) or through a mobile app.

To report a poaching violation in progress, call Wildlife Law Enforcement dispatch at 800-662-7137. Tips that lead to arrests and convictions may lead to a reward of $100 to $1,000.