Officials say a West Virginia man had been keeping two deer at his home for at least a year. Authorities discovered the white-tailed bucks when they visited the Cabell County man's home July 4 after receiving a public tip. State Division of Natural Resources officer Joshua Addesa says the deer had a supply of hay available to them inside the home, but Ronnie Chapman denied the deer lived there, saying they could come and go as they pleased.
Addesa says officers set the deer free but because the animals were domesticated, they may be considered for relocation. In West Virginia, illegal possession of wildlife is a misdemeanor. WSAZ-TV reports that Chapman paid a $300 fine yesterday in Cabell County Magistrate Court. (More weird crimes stories.)