Greene County Poaching Results in Lifetime Hunting Bans

GREENEVILLE, Tenn.--- Hunting privileges for two Greene County men have been revoked for life as a result of multiple big game hunting violations in recent years.

In the fall of 2019, TWRA Wildlife Officers David Crum, David Carpenter, and Marvin Reeves (ret.) charged father and son, Shelby Gene Church (73) and Gene Allen Church (47) with illegally harvesting an eight-point buck deer from the road.  Both men pleaded guilty to multiple charges in Greene County General Sessions Court.  In addition to fines, court costs, loss of equipment, and forfeiture of the deer, Shelby Gene Church had his hunting privileges revoked for life and Gene Allen Church had his hunting privileges revoked for five years. 

In the fall of 2023, Wildlife Officer David Crum investigated complaints of road hunting for deer in the same area of Greene County and discovered that Gene Allen Church had harvested and checked in three deer during his five-year hunting revocation. Church was arrested in December and appeared in Greene County General Sessions Court this February.  In a plea agreement, Church pleaded guilty to three counts of Hunting on Revoked Privileges and three counts of Illegal Possession of a Deer and was ordered to pay a $25 fine plus court costs on each charge.  He also forfeited deer meat and was sentenced to six months in jail with time suspended, but must serve ten days on three of the six charges to run concurrently.  Church also lost his hunting privileges for life. 

Individuals with revoked hunting privileges may still purchase Tennessee hunting and fishing licenses but are barred from physically hunting.  They may also continue fishing or participating in other outdoor recreational opportunities.  Due to the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact, individuals with revoked hunting privileges cannot legally hunt in any of the participating 46 states.

---TWRA---