Hunter accused of hunting deer with the aid of bait

A Greene County landowner, out hunting in November from an elevated tree stand with deer feeders nearby, received a citation from a conservation officer, charging him with a Class C misdemeanor.

Ernest Knepp, 40, of Montgomery, Ind., was cited by Indiana Conservation Officer Greg Swanson on Saturday, November 17.

Swanson was out on foot patrols earlier in November in an area west of Fowler Road and reported he’d located tree stands with feeders that all had corn in them in the feeder’s dispenser and on the ground.

On a subsequent foot patrol, on November 17, he talked to Knepp who was hunting deer from an elevated tree stand. Knepp said he was the landowner.

Swanson asked Knepp if he thought the corn he’d put in the feeders would be gone prior to hunting season and he said yes.

But Swanson explained he’d been in the area within the ten days prior and he had observed the corn present during that time, and that the area would still be considered baited for ten consecutive days once the bait was completely gone or removed.

Knepp received a citation with a court date that was later rescheduled for early January at Knepp’s request.

Knepp is being charged with hunting deer with the aid of bait, a Class C misdemeanor.