A father and two sons are accused of poaching ‘nearly 50′ trophy deer

There are thousands of hunters with rifles, bow-and-arrows, flintlocks, and crossbows in Pennsylvania’s forests and fields during hunting season, all of them eager to bag a buck with wide antlers.

There’s also a litany of rules set by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, all in the name of balance and sportsmanship, an attempt to keep the advantage in favor of the whitetail deer. Three Chester County men — a father and his two adult sons — are accused of tipping the scales, allegedly poaching “dozens upon dozens” of trophy bucks in Chester and Delaware counties over the last two years, according to the Game Commission.

“Nearly 50 (taxidermied) mounts and antler sets — most of them trophy class — were seized from the three,” the Game Commission announced in a recent news release.

Carl Nelson III, 70, of West Chester, his son, Carroll Nelson IV, 44, of Downingtown, and another son, Mark Nelson, 40, of West Chester, are facing dozens of charges and substantial fines, the Game Commission said, all of them related to taking deer out of season, at night, and above the limit of one buck per hunter, per year. The men could also have their Pennsylvania hunting licenses revoked if convicted.

The Game Commission was tipped off about the trio and the two-year investigation included a litany of state game wardens, investigators from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and detectives in Chester County.

“Poachers are thieves — help us catch them!,” the Game Commission wrote.

To report poaching and wildlife crimes, call the agency’s 24-hour dispatch center at 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD, or call the Operation Game Thief toll-free hotline at 1-888-PGC-8001.