IDNR: Hunting show filmed on private property without permission

The cast and crew of a television show on bow-hunting face more than 130 wildlife violations after conservation police say they filmed hunts on private properties in the Chicago area without permission.

Conservation Police watched videos of the Wired Arrow hunts on TV and YouTube, and determined hunting took place on area properties without permission from landowners, making hunting permits invalid, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The hunting took place on properties owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, the Village of Lansing and several private companies, according to the IDNR.

In September, a joint operation involving several state and federal agencies interviewed members of the show who had previously hunted in Illinois.

The show’s owners, staff and guests have been charged with 134 wildlife violations, including taking 18 whitetail deer illegally, according to the IDNR.

According to the Wired Arrow website, the staff is “a group of dedicated bow-hunters committed to producing high-quality, action packed, free-roaming whitetail and turkey hunts.”