KULA, Hawaii – Two men arrested last month on a public road within Oprah Winfrey 's property on the Hawaiian island of Maui are suspected of illegal night hunting, state officials said Monday.
The two Maui men, both 19, were arrested just before midnight on June 21 after officers found them using a hunting spotlight on a public road that runs through Winfrey's ranch in Kula, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a news release.
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While they were not caught actively hunting, officers found a loaded shotgun and a loaded rifle in the pair's truck, and Winfrey's ranch surrounds the road where they were stopped, the state said.
The men were arrested on suspicion of hunting on private lands without permission, not having a hunting license and other violations. One of them was also arrested for an unregistered semi-automatic rifle.
Invasive axis deer run rampant on Maui and other islands of Hawaii.
Maui County prosecutors will review the case and determine if there will be charges. Records show the men were released pending investigation, county officials said.
“Last month, DLNR reached out to Upcountry ranchers regarding their efforts to prevent illegal poaching throughout the area and we agreed to cooperate. The arrests did not happen on the property,” Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, said Monday in an emailed statement.