We originally shared this story in Wednesday’s edition of the newsletter and while we hate to recycle stories around these parts, the developments were just too ‘juicy’ to pass up. According to some updated reports coming out of northeastern Pennsylvania regarding the illegal shooting of two deer near the Camelback Resort, a traditional poaching case has suddenly morphed into a civilizational warning sign.
Michael A. Sukna, 22, of Henryville, was arrested late last week along Camelback Road after wardens responded to reports of illegal big game violations, according to court records and affidavits filed by Game Warden Bryan Mowrer.
Sukna allegedly shot the two deer on separate occasions on Thursday and Friday of last week. Both shootings took place near the entrance to the Village at Camelback, a private townhouse development along Camelback Road in Jackson Township. His weapon of choice was a Glock 23 chambered in 10mm, which he used to fire multiple rounds in the direction of the gated residential entrance. When asked what in the hell he was doing, he admitted to investigating officers that he was shooting “for fun” and for - you know - a bit of target practice.
But the real chef’s kiss of this story came shortly after the wardens rolled up. They reported that Sukna had blood on his hands, fingers, pants, and jacket and freely admitted to licking and consuming the blood from both animals he’d just ventilated. He also later mentioned that he toyed with the idea of giving his sacrificial deer to a neighbor, and at the time of his arrest, was reportedly wearing body armor.
Wardens, to their credit, clocked it as a case of recreational reckless poaching with a side of whatever psychological profile this falls under.
Unfortunately for our wandering marksman, this was not his first encounter with police or game wardens. Just last month he was cited for being under the influence at a nearby state game lands shooting range (State Game Lands 127), followed by a separate incident at the same range, where authorities allege he caused damage to structures and trees by firing after dark, left a firearm behind, failed to clean up shell casings, and used the facility without proper authorization.
A search of Sukna’s residence reportedly uncovered a large stockpile of firearms and ammunition, along with evidence of extensive indoor and outdoor target practice, including hundreds of bullet holes and spent casings inside the home. Family members were often present at the home, and he had previously accidentally shot himself in the foot.
The charges he’s up against are that of a predictable grab-bag which includes unlawful big game killing out of season, hunting without a license, reckless endangerment, discharging a firearm toward occupied areas, unlicensed carry, unlawful body armor and a few other violations relating to hunting and firearms regs. He posted $60,000 bail and is presumed innocent until the system grinds through it, as always.
And while we all hope he gets hung up on a few, if not all of those charges, the story just seems to hit a bit differently, at least from where I sit. And it’s not because some idiot poached deer — that’s been happening since before we had seasons. It’s the casual blood drinking while doing it for “fun” near people’s homes. It’s the body armor. It’s the indoor target practice with mom and dad in the next room. It’s the slow accumulation of a young man treating the world like his personal Call of Duty lobby while real bullets fly.
Sure, maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s just one broken unit in a population of 330+ million.
But then again, maybe it’s a low-resolution preview of what happens when you raise a generation on a steady diet of zero stakes, zero meaning, endless stimulation, and a culture that mocks every traditional outlet for young men’s energy until the only ones left are video games, range days without rules, and whatever “primal” urge makes someone lick cervid hemoglobin off their hands in broad daylight.
Either way, the deer didn’t deserve to get shot. The neighbors didn’t deserve stray rounds. And the rest of us didn’t deserve yet another reminder that civilization might be thinner than we like to pretend.
