Ohio YouTubers Ordered to Pay More Than $37,000 in Deer Poaching Case

Two Ohio men who built an outdoor YouTube channel around deer hunting have pleaded guilty to a pile of wildlife violations, and the bill is heavy. William Bethel and Justin Booth, both from Columbus, pleaded guilty to 20 counts each after an Ohio Department of Natural Resources investigation into deer illegally taken from 2019 through 2024.

Investigators said deer featured through Creek Kings Outdoors were taken in Three Creeks Metro Park and on other properties where the men did not have permission to hunt. Authorities also found that some deer shown as legally harvested in Kentucky were actually taken unlawfully in Ohio.

The financial penalty is more than a slap on the wrist. Combined wildlife restitution was $29,219.32, and after fines, fees, and court costs, the total climbed to $37,051.32. Both men were also sentenced to nine days in jail during the upcoming 2026-27 hunting season, with another 531 days suspended.

On top of that, they received five years of reporting probation, a ban from Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks properties during that period, and suspended hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges.

This is not hunting. It is stealing wildlife and then trying to turn it into content. Legal hunters ask permission, follow seasons, tag animals right, and accept that some days end with an empty truck. Poaching burns landowner trust, gives anti-hunters ammunition, and disrespects every hunter who does it the right way.

There is nothing wrong with filming a hunt. There is everything wrong with breaking the law for a hero shot.