3 men arrested, accused of poaching deer

VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. -- Three men were taken into custody for allegedly poaching a deer Sunday evening, according to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department.

Around 11 p.m., deputies were called to the area of 41st Street and 24th Avenue in Bloomingdale Township for reports someone was in a truck shining a light in the field and fired a shot.

While checking the area, deputies found a truck matching the suspect vehicle description parked in a driveway of a residence.

While making contact, the deputy located three men dressing a deer in a barn, deputies said.

Deputies also located a loaded rifle in the cab of the truck parked in the driveway.

The man allegedly shot the deer from the truck while using artificial lighting and brought it back to the residence, deputies said.

A Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer responded to the scene.

The DNR officer confiscated the deer and the weapon.

Two of the suspects are 20 years old and one is 21 years old. They are all from Bloomingdale.

The men could face charges of hunting without a license, hunting after hours, and shining deer in November.

Share this article: