ICO investigation into illegal hunting leads to criminal charges against three family members

Summons to appear in court have been issued to members of a Jasonville family for providing false information to the Department of Natural Resources, false informing, as well as various counts of hunting deer with the aid of bait, improper temporary transportation tag for white-tailed deer, and use of private land without consent after law enforcement officials found they had taken deer from the property without land owner’s consent and had misused tags. 

A summons to appear in court on April 13 has been issued to Jayme Harkrader for charges of providing false information to the Department of Natural Resources, a Class C Misdemeanor and false informing resulting in substantial hindrance to law enforcement, a Class A Misdemeanor.

A summons to appear in court on April 13 has been issued to Marta Harkrader for charges of providing false information to the Department of Natural Resources, a Class C Misdemeanor and false informing resulting in substantial hindrance to law enforcement, a Class A Misdemeanor.

A summons to appear in court on April 13 has been issued to James Harkrader for three charges of improper temporary transportation for white-tailed deer, a Class B Misdemeanor; three charges of use of private land without consent, a Class C Misdemeanor; and three charges of hunting deer with the aid of bait, a Class B Misdemeanor. 

On Nov. 26, 2022, Indiana Conservation Officer Cole Hollingsworth responded to a pending call from dispatch. The caller stated that on Nov. 19, he heard a shot near his west property line. While patrolling his property the next morning, he located a freshly shot antlered whitetail deer approximately 50 yards into his property. According to the probable cause affidavit, the caller said Deputy James Carpenter of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department came out and looked at the animal and followed the blood trail to another property. Carpenter informed Hollingsworth from the property, he could see a climbing stand at the base of a tree. The blood trail went back to the tree stand. 

The caller informed Hollingsworth that on the evening of Nov. 24, he heard approximately three shots fired near his west property line. On Nov 26, he said he located a fresh gut pile on his property, near the same location he previously located the antlered whitetail deer. 

On Nov. 30, Hollingsworth visited a property next to the original caller’s property – the property where the tree stand was located. On the property, they found an area that had recently been disturbed with a fresh pile of branches and leaves. In a hay field south of the property, Hollingsworth, according to the probable cause affidavit, saw a ladder stand that had a salt block and PVC corn feeder next to it.  

According to the probable cause affidavit, Hollingsworth was informed by a third property owner that the ladder stand, salt block, and corn feeder belonged to James. 

When at the Harkrader residence, Hollingsworth spoke with Marta, who was unloading groceries. He explained he was trying to figure out who was hunting out of the stand on the property. Marta alleged it was her and her daughter Jayme. Marta said she shot an antlerless deer on Nov. 21 out of the ladder tree stand. She provided Hollingsworth with her hunting license and confirmation of when she checked the deer in. Marta said Jayme shot an antlerless deer out of the same tree stand on Nov. 25. She said they were together when both deer were shot and alleged they both used the same gun. She explained in detail how she shot the deer from the stand that had the salt block and corn feeder by it. She alleged James, her ex-husband, set everything up but he didn’t hunt because he was a resident of Illinois (according to court documents, his place of residence is Jasonville). Hollingsworth wrote in the probable cause that a green climbing tree stand was leaned against the garage in addition to another climber tree stand that was located in the garage. 

Both Marta and Hollingsworth walked next door to Jayme's house. Jayme provided Hollingsworth with her hunting license as well as confirmation of check in from the deer she allegedly shot on Nov. 25. 

When asked if they had permission to hunt on the property where the tree stand was located. Both agreed they did not have permission to hunt on that property but Marta said they did have permission to retrieve deer from the property. Upon further questioning and after showing where each deer was at when shot, Hollingsworth determined both deer would have been on another property when shot. 

Hollingsorth then spoke with James who said he had crossbow hunted approximately 12 times during the season from the baited ladder stand. Later in the interview, James admitted he was the one who had shot the antlered whitetail deer on Nov. 19. According to the probable cause affidavit, he said he thought he had missed it and didn’t go looking for it. After more questioning, he admitted he shot the two deer that Marta and Jayme had checked in. He told Hollingsworth that Marta and Jayme had never been hunting before. He said he didn’t want to buy a non-resident Indiana hunting license due to the cost. 

When asked why he had both Marta and Jayme purchase bundle licenses, James allegedly told Hollingsworth he planned to fill both bundle licenses, meaning he planned to kill two antlered whitetail deer and four antlerless deer. James told Hollingsworth he’s been shooting deer for the last 32 years he’s lived in Indiana.