Kansas Reflector, or TOPEKA In addition to paying $25,000 in fines and restitution, a Georgia man who acknowledged unlawfully killing deer in Kansas and showcasing the kills on his YouTube hunting program will also be permanently barred from hunting in Kansas.
This week, Matt Jennings, 35, entered a plea deal on two counts of breaking the federal Lacey Act, which forbids the interstate sale of wildlife that has been captured in violation of state laws. He hosts The Game, a show that airs on CarbonTV and YouTube.
On the show’s website, Jennings states, “HUNTING is all I’ve ever known; to kill to eat is what makes my heart pound and my soul fulfilled.”
Court filings state that Jennings occasionally resides in Woodland, Alabama, but his primary residence is Bowdon, Georgia. In November 2022, armed with a tag that permitted him to capture an antlered deer in a hunting area close to WaKeeney in northwest Kansas, he traveled to Kansas.
In the center region of the state, close to Florence, on November 11, 2022, Jennings killed an antlered deer that was not covered by his tag. The next day, he drove to Oklahoma to register the kill, and then he drove back to Kansas.
He killed another deer close to WaKeeney a week later. The second kill broke state law by going over the bag limit of one antlered deer per season, even though it was in the region permitted under his tag.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks conducted a collaborative investigation that used social media posts and phone data to verify Jennings’ movements.
The kills were highlighted by Jennings on The Game, which the show’s website characterizes as a somber, confrontational, and somber look at what drives a hunter.
According to the website, it’s about pushing oneself to the limit and then reflecting on the experience to draw lessons. Every week, Matt Jennings transports you to the frontlines, whether they are in your backyard or far away. In any case, you will be drawn to this man and his insane next moves by his passion and desire for the hunt.
In the episodes, he is shown as a proficient bow hunter wearing camouflage gear and sporting black grease on his face and eyes. The show’s YouTube channel has almost 62,000 subscribers. Eleven months have passed since the last episode.
Jennings has been criticized in recent remarks on the tapes.
A commenter on one of the shows with the pseudonym @Jimmy2toes4u said, “Hey Kansan here, stay in Georgia with that Poaching s***.” Seeing all the out-of-town plates is bad enough, but what about guys who believe their hunting show gives them the freedom to do as they please?
A brief promotional video titled “One day your life will flash before your eyes” was uploaded to the show’s YouTube account on July 11. Verify that it’s worth seeing.
One day, your show will flash before your eyes, said a commenter going by the handle @lifesshort69. Make sure it’s worth seeing and that you’re not a poacher.
Jennings could have been fined up to $100,000 and imprisoned for up to a year under federal charges. He will pay a $10,000 fine and serve five years of unsupervised probation as part of the plea agreement. Additionally, he will reimburse the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Law Enforcement Fund in Pratt with $15,000. He must retake an Alabama Hunter Education Course and turn in the two illegally taken deer mounts.
While on probation, Jennings is not allowed to hunt, trap, fish, or be around others who are doing any of those things in Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, or Minnesota. He consented to a lifelong restriction on fishing and hunting in Kansas.
A charge from the initial complaint was dropped by the federal government in return for the plea, and further charges would not be brought against Jennings unless he denied his illegal activities or committed more crimes.
When the Kansas Reflector called and emailed Jennings for comment, he didn’t immediately answer.
