Staff Report

Darrell R. Guerin II

SOUTH WHITLEY — A South Whitley man was arrested for illegally possessing multiple deer heads.

Darrell R. Guerin II, 22, 105 W. Wayne St., South Whitley, is charged with six counts of illegal taking of wild animals, all class B misdemeanors; and failure to check in a deer within 48 hours and failure to properly tag a deer with a temporary transportation tag, both class C misdemeanors.

On Nov. 4, 2023, an Indiana Conservation officer received a tip about an individual illegally harvesting and possessing multiple white-tailed deer near Whitko High School. The officer also received a similar tip on Dec. 4, 2023.

According to court documents, the officer learned a deer was harvested on the property in question on Nov. 18, 2023, which was Indiana’s opening day of firearm season for deer. The officer was given permission to walk around the property by the owner on Dec. 5, 2023.

While on the property, the officer saw at least two different male deer heads. A man said he spoke with an individual, later identified as Guerin, who told him he shot a smaller buck.

During a search through the Indiana online game harvest check-in system, Guerin had a profile showing he purchased a deer hunting license in 2023. However, he had not checked in any deer as being harvested during the 2023 deer hunting season.

Officers attempted to contact the property’s residents on Dec. 14, 2023, but received no response. At that time, officers noticed multiple deer heads at the property. Officers returned to the home on Dec. 17, 2023, after being notified about a dead deer hanging from a tree right behind the home. The deer had no temporary transportation tag or a check-in confirmation number on the carcass, as required by law. At that time, officers were able to make contact with Guerin.

When asked about the multiple deer heads on the property, Guerin said most of them belonged to friends who had harvested the deer and were paying him to mount them. Eventually, Guerin admitted all the deer heads on the property belonged to him. He gave officers varying stories about finding some of the heads on different state properties throughout the area.

Guerin was booked in the Whitley County Jail on Jan. 6, 2024.