Here's some examples:
Most common deer-poaching violations (in Texas)
The number of citations issued for deer poaching have declined with the advent of stiffer penalties for the crime. These are the numbers of the most common major violations between Sept. 1, 2006, through May 31, 2007.
Killing deer without landowner's consent (state jail felony): 36
Killing deer at night (Class A misdemeanor): 73
Killing deer from a vehicle (Class A misdemeanor — not on private property): 58
Exceeding deer annual bag limit (Class C misdemeanor): 51
Killing deer by illegal means and methods (Class C misdemeanor): 47
Killing deer on a public road (Class A misdemeanor): 60
Killing illegal buck, one with less than 13-inch inside spread, in special buck deer county (Class C misdemeanor): 110
As reported by Mike Legget in the Austin, TX American-Statesman newspaper.
Killing a deer on a public road - that means shooting it, not hitting it with your truck. Felt I had to explain that to get past the psuedo lawyers and nitpickers around here.
Along with being a state jail felony, killing a deer without the landowners' permission will cost you your hunting license for the next five years, possible forfieture of the weapon and vehicle used in committing the crime and, sincea convictedfelon cannot own guns, you loseall the guns you might own as well.Plus, the landowner can bring civil charges against you to make you pay for the deer you killed, and kill fees can run quite a few thousands of dollars in this state.
Before they made killing a deer without permission a felony, they say they were making 500 cases a year. Since making it a felony, it's dropped to less than 50.