Ohio Hunter Convicted in Multi‑State Poaching Probe Must Post TikTok Apology, Faces Fines and Seizures

An interstate investigation triggered by public tips has resulted in criminal penalties for 21‑year‑old Carter Hickey, an Ohio hunter who admitted guilt in May to multiple poaching offenses spanning at least 17 states in 2025. Authorities say Hickey used social media to boast about his hunting activities even as he violated wildlife laws.

Conviction and Penalties

Hickey pleaded guilty to 17 counts related to poaching, including taking wildlife out of season, illegally possessing animals, hunting without permission, spotlighting, using a vehicle to aid in the killing of wildlife and failing to follow game‑check procedures. His sentence includes $33,500 in fines and restitution, 15 days in jail, 80 hours of community service and a five‑year suspension of hunting and trapping privileges.

“Many complaints came into the Ohio Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These tips led us to uncover something much bigger,” the agency said in a report. “Hickey had violated wildlife laws in at least 17 states and had even more on his radar.”

Social Media Apology and Local Letter

In addition to standard penalties, the court imposed two disciplinary measures tied to Hickey’s online posts and a trespass incident: he must post an apology video on TikTok — the platform where authorities say he publicly boasted about illegal hunting — and send a written apology to the city of Dover, Ohio, after trespassing and poaching a 10‑point buck in a public park. As of the agency report, the apology video had not yet been posted.

Evidence and Seizures

Investigators seized and accepted the surrender of multiple items tied to the case, which authorities note represent both evidence and tangible conservation losses: three guns, a bow, hunting blinds, decoys, 115 pounds of turkey meat and 47 turkey fans. A publicly released photo shows Hickey dressed in camouflage posing with four dead turkeys.

Alleged Accomplices and Broader Context

Officials also allege Hickey aided three other people in illegally harvesting turkeys; those individuals face a combined $5,000 in fines and two‑year suspensions of their guns and hunting privileges. Hickey’s case follows another recent enforcement action in Ohio that targeted hunting content creators: cousins William Bethel and Justin Booth pleaded guilty to multiple counts after being filmed pursuing deer in a 1,100‑acre city park where hunting is prohibited. That pair together face more than $37,000 in penalties and multi‑year bans.

Wildlife officials emphasized the wider impact of poaching: beyond fines and equipment seizures, illegal take undermines conservation efforts and damages trust between regulators and lawful hunters. The agencies say tips from the public were essential to uncovering the scope of Hickey’s activities.