The seized deer heads | TWRA
It looks as though Christmas came early, at least for investigators with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, after a big bust led to guilty pleas in a massive poaching case from deep inside the state. In a significant victory for wildlife conservation in Tennessee, two men from Middle Tennessee have pleaded guilty to multiple poaching violations following a months-long investigation which unfolded near the border of Wilson and Rutherford counties.
The investigation began in the fall of 2024 after a concerned citizen tipped off TWRA game wardens about some fishy activity. After taking a deeper look into the allegations, it was soon revealed that Robert Comer and Carson Smith were allegedly involved in the illegal hunting of white-tailed deer, as well as the unlawful sale and bartering of deer meat.
Comer, who was already serving a three-year revocation of his hunting license due to prior poaching offenses in Tennessee, was identified as a repeat offender. Multiple search warrants executed by TWRA wardens uncovered a substantial cache of evidence that included a stash of 50 white-tailed deer heads and antlers, one wild turkey head, one illegally possessed fox squirrel, and weapons including a rifle, muzzleloader, and crossbow believed to have been used in the violations.
In court, Comer pleaded guilty to two felony counts of possession/trafficking of protected wildlife, one count of illegal take, possession, or destruction of wildlife, and two counts of hunting on revocation. As a result, he received one of the harshest penalties at the disposal of the judge which saw him handed a lifetime ban from hunting, fishing, trapping. He is also banned from entering any TWRA-controlled or managed lands and was also ordered to serve 60 days in jail and pay $15,000 in restitution.
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Smith, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to three counts of illegal take, possession, or destruction of wildlife; one count of violating statewide big game hunting season and bag limits; and one count of big game tagging violation. For his violations, he received a three-year revocation of his hunting privileges.
Poaching remains a persistent issue in Tennessee and many other states, where white-tailed deer populations support both recreational hunting and ecological balance. Such large-scale violations not only deplete wildlife but also undermine fair access for law-abiding hunters. Cases like this should serve as a reminder that illegal activities carry severe consequences that could (and should) include permanent loss of privileges and severe financial penalties.
The TWRA continues to encourage ethical hunting practices and urges the public to report any suspected violations to help safeguard Tennessee's outdoors for future generations.
