Man Who Poached Hollywood Cemetery Buck Banned from Looking for 24 Years

Two males have been sentenced with fines, jail time, and the suspension of looking privileges for his or her roles in poaching three whitetails from Richmond, Virginia, final fall, together with the notorious nontypical whitetail generally known as the Hollywood Cemetery buck. Jason Walters, who outed himself when he claimed to have killed the unmistakable buck some 70 miles from its identified vary in downtown Richmond, pled responsible to twenty wildlife costs, based on a press release Thursday from the Virginia Division of Wildlife Assets.

Walters was sentenced to 6 months in jail with three months suspended, fines totaling $2,500, and substitute prices totaling $11,000 for killing the Hollywood buck and two different bucks that he shot illegally in 2023. Walters additionally misplaced his looking privileges for 100 years, although 76 of these years have been suspended, leading to an efficient suspension for twenty-four years. Alan Proffitt, an confederate whose actual position in aiding Walters isn’t instantly clear, was discovered responsible. Along with forking over $1,250 in fines and serving 30 days of home arrest, Proffitt’s looking privileges have been additionally revoked with a suspension, leading to an efficient ban from attempting to find six years.

The DWR known as his punishment one of many “strongest enforcement outcomes in latest reminiscence” and famous that “the appreciable penalties included will definitely be a deterrent to future wildlife crime and will give the neighborhood a stage of consolation that one of these crime is taken very critically within the Commonwealth. Searching is a treasured custom in Virginia. Unethical and legal habits tarnishes the repute of the game and provides a foul identify to those who interact in it lawfully.”

Though DWR officers didn’t specify what would turn out to be of the Hollywood buck’s seized antlers, the company did point out it will be working with the outside neighborhood to “decide the easiest way to memorialize this unimaginable animal.”

Dec. 15, 2025 — Jason Walters, the 36-year-old who submitted images of himself with an illegally-killed deer to a preferred looking web page on Fb final month, was arrested Sunday and charged with 19 wildlife violations. These costs stem from the poaching of three deer this fall. That features the Hollywood Buck, so-named for its tendency to dwell in and across the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, the place Walters resides.

A “vital quantity” of conservation cops investigated the case, the Virginia Division of Wildlife Assets introduced in a Monday press launch. They executed 10 search warrants and recovered two units of antlers. One set was from the Hollywood buck; the opposite nearly definitely belonged to one of many two 8-points Walters claimed to have legally hunted final season (images under) however have been additionally recognized by social-media sleuths as Hollywood deer. It’s not instantly clear what might have occurred to the third set of antlers.

Prices towards Walters embrace trespassing, failing to verify and tag a deer, not less than one earn a buck violation, unlawful possession of wildlife, and — for good measure — littering. DWR additionally recognized Walter’s confederate as 36-year-old Richmond resident Alan Proffitt, who can be dealing with pending (although unspecified) costs.

“Our officers instantly started their investigation upon studying of the potential violation of Virginia’s wildlife legal guidelines,” Main Ryan Schuler, deputy chief of DWR regulation enforcement, stated in a press release. “The unlawful killing of this deer was a blow to the neighborhood and broken the repute of law-abiding hunters throughout the Commonwealth.”

Dec. 18, 2023 — When Jeff Phillips acquired images of a large buck in his Fb messages Thursday, he did what he all the time does. Phillips collected particulars from the sender and posted 4 photographs to Star Metropolis Whitetails, the Fb web page the place he shares submitted images of Virginia deer together with his 72,000 followers. The images, which depict a person in camo kneeling beside an enormous nontypical whitetail, appeared with this caption: “Prince Edward County killed with 50 cal muzzleloader, shot this morning 713am at 20 yards, my third mounter this 12 months! Greatest buck of my LIFE 🦌💥”

Thirty minutes later, the publish blew up. Dozens of individuals recognized the deer because the Hollywood buck, a well known deer with distinctive antlers that lived in and across the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. The difficulty? Hollywood Cemetery lies roughly 70 miles northeast of the place the person, Jason Walters, claimed to have shot his buck. Folks started contacting the Virginia Division of Wildlife Assets, accusing Walters of poaching it from Richmond metropolis limits. Two extra bucks Walters claimed to have killed have additionally been recognized by locals and wildlife photographers as dwelling within the cemetery.

“​​The Division of Wildlife Assets is conscious of the scenario and we’re conducting an investigation,” says DWR Lieutenant Frank Spuchesi, the Area 1 supervisor overseeing the officers on the case.

“We’ve gotten so many [tips] now that I’m probably not certain which one was the very first one,” Spuchesi added. “A number of our circumstances are excessive profile, however this one does appear to be getting a bit of bit extra consideration because of the truth that a few of these deer have been seen by lots of people within the public, and photographed so much. They have been out within the open. They weren’t elusive like quite a lot of deer are once they get to that age. City deer tend to be seen much more.”

Though Spuchesi couldn’t determine Jason Walters as an individual of curiosity “presently” to Outside Life on Friday, a DWR press launch revealed Monday afternoon that “​​the first suspect despatched images of himself with the nontypical 29-point buck to a Fb web page, claiming to have killed the buck in Prince Edward County, Virginia, with a muzzleloader.” It additional notes that conservation officers “made contact with a suspect and thru interviews decided that the deer was killed illegally.” Officers have recovered proof, although the discharge didn’t embrace specifics, and are working to determine others who might have been concerned. The discharge doesn’t identify Walters, nor every other suspect.

Spuchesi additionally confirmed to Outside Life that the investigation contains a number of bucks. 

The buck images Phillips posted yesterday have been the third batch he says he acquired from Walters this season. On Nov. 20, Phillips posted images of Walters with a dark-antlered 8-point, reportedly shot in Richmond. On Dec. 1, Phillips posted images of one other 8-point Walters stated he shot in Chesterfield, simply outdoors of Richmond.

“​​After which yesterday, he despatched me that [nontypical] buck,” says Phillips, a realtor with Whitetail Properties. “Though when he despatched the buck to me yesterday all he stated was, ‘Publish this up bud.’ And I noticed how good it was, and I used to be like, ‘Please embrace some particulars, it is a stunning deer. The place’d you kill it?’ Identical to anyone who sends me footage, I all the time ask the county.”

Walters complied. Though Phillips was conscious of a well-known nontypical typically seen and photographed close to the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, its antlers this 12 months didn’t look acquainted.

“It was a nationally identified deer, however that deer has declined considerably rack-wise, imagine it or not,” says Philips. “When he despatched the image in I simply thought, ‘rattling, that’s an attractive deer,’ however I didn’t see or consider any affiliation with that specific deer on the Hollywood Cemetery.”

Richmond-based wildlife photographer Invoice Draper made the connection immediately. Draper takes images for the Hollywood Cemetery and Maymont Park, and enjoys non-public entry to grounds that the general public can’t all the time go to. For years Draper has photographed deer alongside the James River in Richmond, together with the so-called nontypical Hollywood buck.

“I do know this deer higher than I do know my three daughters. I can let you know each little nub on the antlers, I’ve received each totally different angle — entrance, again, facet, proper, left,” says Draper, noting that many images of the Hollywood buck that appeared within the Fb feedback have been pulled from his pages. “It was beginning to look a bit of haggard and run down. It’s an previous deer. It had enormous, unbelievable, world-class antlers 4 years in the past. Clearly that is one other 4 years later and it’s nonetheless phenomenal.”

Draper took his final images of the Hollywood buck on Oct. 13 in Richmond. Though he’s all the time been cautious to keep away from posting any images or info that will reveal an excessive amount of concerning the deer’s location — for concern somebody may poach it — Draper says he may discover the animal if he appeared exhausting sufficient. Particularly recently, for the reason that buck has been shifting much less.

“He’s lived for the final 4 years in that specific neighborhood between Maymont Park, Mount Calvary Cemetery, Riverview Cemetery, Hollywood Cemetery, and James River Park North Financial institution Path space,” Draper says. “I’ve footage of him at Hollywood, on the North Financial institution Path, on the fringe of Mount Calvary, outdoors of the fence at Maymont, and contained in the fence. He has not moved very a lot, he’s stayed fairly shut round that neighborhood. The individuals who dwell there know that very effectively.”

Whereas Draper has images that clearly present the buck amongst headstones and at recognizable Richmond places, he declined to share them for this text, citing his working relationship with the Hollywood Cemetery. He had additionally inspired the cemetery to chorus from posting his images of the deer on their social accounts to keep away from hotspotting the buck.

Along with the large nontypical, Draper says he photographed the dark-antlered 8-point in Richmond that Walters claimed to have shot in Chesterfield on Nov. 20. 

“That 8-pointer used to come back by means of a gap within the fence at Hollywood like clockwork,” Draper says. “When the rut got here in he was rather less constant, clearly chasing does round. However nonetheless you’d see him within the cemetery.”

Draper additionally says that his buddy and fellow photographer Ben King has documented one other Richmond deer that Walters claims he killed in Chesterfield, which is roughly 13 miles southwest of Hollywood Cemetery.

Whereas there are fastidiously regulated city bow seasons in Richmond, no looking is allowed in Hollywood Cemetery and sure surrounding properties. Deer within the space are conditioned to people and tolerate human exercise higher than most wild whitetails in additional rural areas. Nonetheless, Draper says the buck was extra careless this 12 months.

“[The big Hollywood buck] had been so much much less cautious this 12 months. It could be close to individuals’s yard, in Maymont Park it will mattress down beside the fence the place vehicles trip by. Every week or so in the past anyone posted an image of him on the Virginia Wildlife Fb web page and stated precisely the place he lived and the place you can see him. And there was an enormous uproar. I don’t know if that was the reason for [the buck’s death].”

Primarily based on in-person sightings and {photograph} historical past, most sources estimated the Hollywood buck to be about eight years previous.

“After I final checked out [the Hollywood buck] I stated, ‘It could not final by means of the winter.’ However I hate to see it go that approach,” says Draper. “It’s a disgrace. I would really like individuals to know that you would be able to’t simply exit and shoot a deer like this and suppose you’ll be able to publish it and nobody’s going to learn about it. It’s actually silly. Hopefully it should make individuals suppose twice earlier than they poach a deer.”

Regardless of the city location, good cowl and forage exists within the space.

“He had loads to eat, loads to mattress, loads of water. He didn’t must go nowhere,” says Brandon Overstreet, a Virginia hunter and one of many first Fb commenters to make the connection between Walters’ images and the Hollywood buck. “He would by no means go away greater than a mile away. [The Hollywood buck] was very odd in a way too when the rut got here. There are such a lot of deer in that space, he by no means actually rutted. His neck by no means swelled up. He all the time had a skinny neck, didn’t must go chasing and looking for deer, as a result of he had 30 girlfriends.”

Overstreet says he discovered one of many Hollywood buck’s sheds two years in the past, which scored proper at 100 inches and was later auctioned to a outstanding collector. Though he lives in Bedford, Overstreet says he travels by means of Richmond each few weeks and infrequently visits Pumphouse Park and different places close to the James River to observe the buck. Though the deer had many nicknames, most frequently simply “Hollywood” or the “Hollywood buck,” locals typically known as him “Prince” (“as a result of they known as his daddy the King,” says Overstreet). By his finest guess, anybody hoping to poach deer within the space must do it at evening.

“There are staff that work there throughout the day, they’re continuously making rounds,” says Overstreet. “Everybody has anticipated somebody to come back poach him.”

Subsequent Steps within the Poaching Investigation

When Phillips realized the buck he posted to Star Metropolis Whitetails Thursday morning appeared the identical because the Hollywood Cemetery buck, he messaged Walters on Fb once more.

“I despatched him again a textual content that stated ‘anyone simply despatched me footage of the Hollywood Cemetery deer, and that’s it.’ I believe he stated, ‘huh lol.’ I stated, ‘What does that imply’? He stated, ‘This buck was killed at my looking membership in Prince Edward County.’”

Phillips says he acquired that last message from Walters at 10:52 a.m. on Dec. 14. Walters’ private profile disappeared from Fb shortly after their trade, and Phillips up to date his personal publish to mirror the brand new info. Each Walters and Draper have since been contacted by regulation enforcement. The DWR press launch famous officers will proceed to work with Richmond and Chesterfield County police departments, in addition to the Hollywood Cemetery and the James River Park System.

“The unlawful killing of the Hollywood Cemetery buck is a critical violation of Virginia’s wildlife legal guidelines and might be a precedence for the Conservation Police Officers assigned to the investigation till all leads have been exhausted, all proof has been collected, and people concerned have been charged,” Main Ryan Schuler, who serves because the deputy chief of DWR regulation enforcement, stated in Monday’s assertion.

Spuchesi was additionally unable to supply a timeline for when the general public may be taught additional particulars concerning the case.

“I’d hope [we can resolve this] within the close to future,” Spuchesi says. “Some investigations final years, some final hours.”

This story, initially revealed on Dec. 15, 2023 at 5:42 p.m. EST, was up to date on Dec. 18, 2023 to incorporate particulars from Virginia DWR press launch. It was up to date once more on Aug. 16, 2024 to mirror sentencing of Walters and Proffitt.