Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
2 Men Were Arrested on Public Road Within Oprah's Hawaii Ranch. They're Suspected of Illegal Hunting
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
July 2, 2024

Two 19-year-old men were arrested on suspicion of illegal night hunting within Oprah Winfrey's Maui ranch, according to Hawaiian state officials. (AP/Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

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.

Arrests Made on Winfrey’s Property

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.

Winfrey’s Production Company Responds

“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.

 

RELATED TOPICS:

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend