Hunting TV host Matt Jennings sentenced for illegal deer kills in Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. - A Georgia man who hosts a hunting television show has been sentenced to five years of probation and permanently banned from hunting and fishing in Kansas after illegally killing two deer in the state.

What we know:

Matt Jennings, 35, of Bowdon, Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of illegally taking a white-tailed deer in interstate commerce, federal prosecutors announced.

According to court documents, Jennings shot an antlered deer on Nov. 11, 2022, near Florence, Kansas. His hunting tag did not allow him to harvest a deer in that part of the state. The following day, he drove to Oklahoma and fraudulently registered the kill there using an Oklahoma electronic tag.

On November 19, Jennings killed a second antlered deer near Wakeeney. Although he held a valid tag for that region, Kansas law only allows one antlered deer per season. Prosecutors said the second kill violated the state’s bag limit.

Both hunts were featured on Jennings’ hunting show, The Game.

What's next:

A federal judge ordered Jennings to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, in addition to a $10,000 fine. He must also forfeit the antlers from both deer.

During his probation, Jennings is barred from guiding, hunting, trapping, fishing, or accompanying anyone involved in those activities in eight states: Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota.