Massachusetts State Police arrest pair after allegedly shooting a deer on a front lawn from their vehicle

Two hunters were arrested recently after reportedly shooting a deer that was in a yard.

According to Dave Procopio of Massachusetts State Police, on Saturday, Massachusetts State Troopers and Massachusetts Environmental Police Officers responded to a report that a deer had been fatally shot from someone inside a pickup in the town of Colrain. Their subsequent investigation led to the discovery by police of a gray fox that had also been killed and the arrests of two men for poaching offenses.

At 6:10 PM Saturday, the State Police-Shelburne Falls Barracks received a report that the deer had been shot in front of a home on Shelburne Line Road in Colrain. Trooper Garrett Hall responded to investigate and observed a gray Toyota Tacoma pickup in the area believed to be the truck from which the deer was shot.

Trooper Hall immediately conducted a motor vehicle stop. He observed two men and several unsecured firearms in the Tacoma. Assisted by off-duty Trooper John Ollari, who was in the area, Trooper Hall detained the occupants and secured the vehicle pending further investigation.

Trooper Randy Zaterka, as well as Massachusetts Environmental Police Lt. David Unaitis, Lt. Tara Carlow, and Sgt. Jerry Shampang, also responded to assist.

Troopers and Officers checked the Tacoma and located a loaded .22 caliber rifle, another rifle, two shotguns, a loaded handgun, four muzzleloaders, and four thermal scopes for seeing targets at night. Also located in the vehicle was an illegally killed gray fox with gunshot wounds to its body and apparent blunt trauma to its head.

Police also examined the buck that had been killed and was lying in the road. A subsequent necropsy of the deer revealed three .22 caliber slugs in its head and body.

The occupants of the Tacoma were identified as Ira B. Doull, 46, of Worthington, and Seth O. Doull, 51, of Colrain. They are brothers.

Both men were each placed in custody and charged with numerous firearms offenses and fish and wildlife violations, including Hunting from a vehicle, Carrying a loaded shotgun/rifle in a vehicle, Hunting deer with a rifle, Discharging a firearm near a highway, Improper storage of a firearm, Hunting at night, and Hunting out of season (fox).

Troopers booked the suspects at State Police-Shelburne Falls, after which a bail clerk set bail at $240 for Seth O. Doull and $140 for Ira B. Doull. Both posted bail and were released pending arraignment in Greenfield District Court, which took place this week. Both suspects face mandatory Firearm Identification Card revocations and could face revocation of hunting rights in almost all 50 states.

Environmental Police took possession of all firearms and contraband located in the vehicle.

It should be noted that police in that geographic area have received several reports of poaching in the last two years by an offender or offenders operating a gray Tacoma. In the other incidents a suspect or suspects were not identified. The investigation into whether the defendants arrested in Colrain on Saturday are habitual poachers responsible for the past reported incidents.