By Howard Packowitz
PEORIA – A prominent Tazewell County hunter, who had his own cable TV show, faces a federal indictment, a hefty fine and possible prison time, for allegedly killing too many deer during a hunt in southern Indiana five years ago.
A grand jury on Thursday indicted Christopher Brackett, 41, of East Peoria. He produced and starred in the show “Fear No Evil” seen on the Outdoor Channel.
In Indiana, hunters with the proper permit can kill one antlered deer each season. Federal authorities charged Brackett with killing two animals in December 2013.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said an episode showed Brackett fatally shooting an 11-point deer, which he nicknamed the “Unicorn Buck” and transported the dead animal across the state line to Illinois.
The edited program did not show Brackett allegedly killing a smaller eight-point buck. A day after killing the deer, Brackett allegedly bought a non-resident deer muzzleloader permit and registered the smaller buck, both using his cameraman’s name.
Brackett faces fines of up to $250,000 and up to five years in prison if he’s found guilty of either of the two felony charges.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at howard.packowitz@cumulus.com
