and will be listed as habitual offenders with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Travis Umbdenstock, 21, from Cedar Rapids, Tim Hansel, 20, Jacob Hansel, 21 and Josh Hansel, 20, all from Martelle, were charged with unlawful possession, unlawful method of taking deer, no valid deer licenses and unlawful transportation of deer. The four men pleaded guilty to all 23 charges.

Mike Macke, Iowa DNR conservation officer for Jones County, said he learned about the poaching activity while working on an unrelated case.

“These people had to be seen by several people while they were doing it, but for whatever reason, no one called it in. We call it poaching because it is wildlife, but it is really theft of the resource,” Macke said. Based on the spread of the antlers, Macke said three of the deer would be trophy bucks for someone if they had been legitimately harvested.

Officers with the Iowa DNR and the Jones County Sheriff’s Department searched the rural Martelle residence on Dec. 8, and seized parts of 11 bucks and one doe that were all taken illegally. Officers also seized 14 guns and one bow.