Two facing charges for poaching deer from road near Lake John Hay (warning: graphic images)

Photo posted by the DNR.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division posted Thursday that two individuals, a 17 year-old and an 18 year-old, are facing charges in Washington County for shooting two whitetail bucks (male deer) from the roadway.

Indiana law dictates that it is illegal to "hunt, shoot at, or kill an animal, or to shoot at any object, from within, into, upon, or across a public highway or road." Furthermore, it is also not currently deer hunting season in Indiana, which takes place between September and January and requires a hunting license.

According to the DNR posting, concerned citizens observed the shooting and contacted authorities, resulting in Indiana Conservation Officers Mills and Batliner responding. The DNR goes on to report that the suspects left the deer to waste after being confronted by the witnesses. The names of the suspects have not been released.

The incident occurred in Rush Creek Valley, near Lake John Hay just northwest of Salem.

"This kind of blatant disregard for the law, the wildlife and the safety of people living in the county is absolutely unacceptable," said a neighbor. "As an avid bow hunter and outdoorsman, to think of the amount of time, expense and energy myself and other folks like me put into caring for the whitetail herd – food plots, access to clean running water to combat EHD, timber stand improvement to maintain habitat, etc. – just to have people cruising down the road blasting them, adds a whole other layer of contempt."

The neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous, submitted a photo of one of the deer carcasses. It is included below.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES, BLOOD