A 62-year-old Sayre man and a 31-year-old Sayre man have outstanding arrest warrants issued through the Beckham County District Court on November 20 for allegedly violating hunting laws. Willard Eugene Gillie was charged with two counts of violating migratory birds and one count of unlawful possession of wildlife.
Skyler Gillie faces the same charges.
The investigation began on September 1 when a game warden reportedly observed several dove hunters southwest of Sweetwater.
The hunting party included five hunters.
The game warden stated that he had observed numerous doves flying into a pond and that the hunters were allegedly taking several shots at them.
“In my education, training, and experience, and based on the number of doves flying into the pond, I believed this was not a typical evening dove hunt. I felt something was bringing the birds into the pond besides the water. I decided not to go in and check the hunters as darkness was approaching,” the warden wrote.
The group reportedly left the area.
The game warden then walked to the pond where he had observed the hunting.
The game warden wrote that he could allegedly see “large amounts of cracked corn and milo (sorghum) grain scattered around the pond.”
“There was a considerable amount of grain around the pond. There was so much grain that I could not step on the ground within approximately 10 yards of the water without stepping in grain,” the game warden added.
The game warden then spoke with Skyler Gillie on November 18, the opening day of deer gun season in the area east of Sweetwater.
A “couple days later,” the game warden reportedly learned that Gillie’s minor son had allegedly shot a buck deer but had not been able to recover the deer.
The game warden’s information was also that the minor reportedly did not have a valid hunting license.
The game warden later checked the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s license system and reportedly found that a license had been purchased on November 19 for the minor and a deer had been checked in at 11:15 am.
The game warden also noted that he had begun checking the pond in August, 2024. He wrote that on September 1, he initially discovered the alleged “bait,” or the cracked corn and milo.
He sought the assistance of two other game wardens to monitor the property.
On September 4, the game warden reportedly observed a vehicle he believed to be one that was similar to a vehicle owned by Willard Gillie.
At this time, he reportedly saw two men, identified as Willard Gillie and Skyler Gillie, successfully hunting doves.
A UTV was parked there. The game warden allegedly found evidence of the corn in the UTV.
The game warden reportedly “confronted” the men about the “bait” scattered around the pond.
Willard Gillie reportedly “spoke up,” allegedly stating that they had not put out the corn and milo.
However, the game warden stated that Willard Gillie had reportedly explained that they subleased the hunting land from another man and allegedly stated that maybe that man had put out the alleged bait.
The game warden then called the man who had the actual lease, and asked if the man had been to the pond.
The man allegedly stated that he had not been to the pond in a month.
The man reportedly stated that he had no knowledge of the corn and milo.
Willard Gillie allegedly admitted to placing the bait.
The game warden confiscated the ten dove that had been harvested.
The game warden then told them that it was illegal to hunt migratory birds over bait, which Willard Gillie allegedly admitted to knowing.
Skyler Gillie then was reportedly questioned on November 18 about the deer that had allegedly been shot illegally.
Skyler Gillie reportedly admitted that his minor son had hunted without a license, saying that they had forgotten to get one. Gillie also added that they purchased one as soon as his son shot the deer.
