“You shot it during archery season”: Hunters chased deer with a UTV and shot them with a pistol

Two men in Frederick County, Maryland, were cited for numerous wildlife violations after a game warden said they chased deer with a utility vehicle and shot them with a 10mm handgun during archery season.

Body-camera footage presented by the YouTube channel WildlifeWarden showed a Maryland Natural Resources Police officer arriving at the property in November 2025 and finding two dead deer already being processed. Neither animal had been properly tagged or checked in.

The officer eventually determined that Alberto Calderon had driven the UTV while Rodulfo Veron allegedly fired at the deer from the vehicle. An eight-point buck and a doe were killed.

What first appeared to the men as an easy way to obtain venison developed into a long investigation involving an illegal weapon for the season, prohibited ammunition, spotlighting allegations, improper tagging, and the use of a vehicle to pursue wildlife.

Officer Found Two Deer Being Processed

The Natural Resources Police officer arrived after receiving a witness report that two men had been chasing deer with a UTV.

At the property, he found several workers and immediately noticed two deer being cleaned. He identified himself, explained that his body camera was recording, and began asking who owned the animals and the nearby vehicle.

The early answers were confusing.

Calderon first suggested that another person, described only as a friend named Freddy, had killed the deer. He also said he had started working at 7 a.m., even though he later acknowledged that he lived on the property.

When the officer pressed him for details, the story shifted several times. Calderon initially denied having weapons on the property, then admitted that rifles were present.

The warden remained calm but made it clear that he already had information about what had happened.

“I don’t ask a question I already don’t know the answer to,” he told Calderon.

That approach gradually broke through the changing explanations. The footage showed the officer allowing Calderon multiple opportunities to tell the full story before explaining the violations he was investigating.

Calderon Admitted Following the Deer

After more questioning, Calderon admitted that the deer had been killed with a pistol.

He then said he had gotten into the side-by-side vehicle and followed the animals through the field. At first, he claimed he had shot them himself, but later said he was driving while another worker fired the handgun.

Calderon walked the officer through the route taken by the UTV. He said the men followed the deer toward a fence and continued chasing them until the animals became tired.

“You shot it during archery season,” the officer later explained while reviewing the case.

The description was far removed from normal regulated hunting. Rather than waiting for a legal shot while using approved archery equipment, the men allegedly used a motorized vehicle to run the deer down and bring the shooter close enough to fire a pistol.

Using a vehicle to exhaust an animal strips away the basic idea of fair chase. Hunting regulations exist not only to manage populations, but also to place limits on how wildlife can be pursued and killed.

Second Man Identified as the Shooter

Calderon eventually identified Veron, who was wearing pink clothing, as the person who had fired the pistol.

He said Veron had been working for him and was helping with painting and repairs at the property. According to Calderon, he drove the UTV while Veron leaned out and shot.

The language barrier complicated the investigation, and the officer attempted to find someone who could translate accurately. He also separated the men because he did not want Calderon shaping Veron’s answers or speaking for him.

During the questioning, Veron appeared to acknowledge firing the weapon.

The warden explained that the deer had been killed illegally and that he needed to determine each man’s role. Calderon could face aiding-and-abetting allegations even if he had not personally pulled the trigger because he drove the vehicle and participated in the pursuit.

The investigation also became more complicated because Veron did not initially have identification available. The officer warned that if police could not establish who he was, he might have to be taken into custody rather than cited and released.

Eventually, the men produced enough identifying information for the officer to continue handling the case through citations.

Handgun and Ammunition Were Prohibited

Calderon led the officer to a truck where the handgun had been stored under plastic inside the vehicle.

The officer recovered a Springfield Armory 10mm pistol, along with its magazine and ammunition. Calderon said the gun had been fired about three times, though the warden indicated he believed more shots may have been discharged.

The weapon created several separate problems.

The officer said the pistol did not have the required six-inch barrel for lawful deer hunting. He also explained that the ammunition failed to produce the minimum 700 foot-pounds of muzzle energy required under the applicable rules, reaching only about 450.

The cartridges were also described as full-metal-jacket ammunition, which could not legally be used to hunt deer.

Even outside archery season, the officer said the handgun and ammunition combination would not have met Maryland’s requirements.

This part of the encounter shows why hunters are expected to understand equipment regulations before entering the field. A firearm may be powerful, legal to own, and suitable for other uses while still being prohibited for a particular species or season.

Property Owner Discussed Crop-Damage Permits

The property owner, identified as Chester, later arrived and spoke with the officer.

He explained that Calderon lived on the property and worked for his construction company. The agricultural land was leased to a farmer who apparently had crop-damage permits.

However, the warden said those permits did not authorize anyone present to shoot deer however they wished.

The officer explained that authorized shooters generally needed to be specifically named under the permit. Calderon had already admitted that his name was not included.

Chester said Calderon had permission to hunt on the property, but the officer clarified that landowner permission did not excuse violations involving the wrong season, weapon, vehicle, tagging process, or ammunition.

That distinction is important. Permission to enter private land is only one part of lawful hunting, and it does not replace licensing, safety certification, seasonal rules, or approved hunting methods.

The officer told Chester that the violations appeared to be natural-resources offenses and that some could be payable citations while others might require a court appearance.

Deer Were Seized and Meat Was Donated

The officer considered seizing the UTV along with the firearm and deer because all had allegedly been used during the violations.

He ultimately allowed the men to keep the vehicle, describing that decision as one of several breaks he gave them. He did seize the handgun, magazine, ammunition, and the eight-point rack as evidence.

The two deer were also taken from the property.

WildlifeWarden reported that the meat would be donated through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry rather than thrown away.

That outcome prevented the animals from being completely wasted, but it did not erase the manner in which they were killed. The donation addressed what happened to the meat afterward, not the alleged pursuit and shooting itself.

Once the evidence was collected, the officer returned to explain each citation carefully, using translation help so both men understood their options.

Men Faced a Long List of Violations

Veron was cited directly for hunting without the required hunter-safety certification, removing deer parts before check-in, hunting during a closed season, pursuing wildlife with an off-road vehicle, and spotlighting.

He was also cited for failing to attach a field tag before moving the carcasses, hunting with prohibited full-metal-jacket ammunition, and using a handgun that did not meet legal requirements.

Calderon faced aiding-and-abetting citations for many of the same alleged violations because he drove the UTV, supplied or possessed the handgun, and participated in the hunt.

Both men received warnings for failing to wear fluorescent orange or pink during the applicable period and for shooting from a vehicle. The officer said those warnings spared them an additional $750 in possible fines.

The payable citations still added up to a substantial amount. The warden explained that the men could either pay them or request a court hearing, but warned that ignoring the paperwork could result in added penalties and arrest warrants.

Calderon repeatedly apologized for lying at the beginning of the encounter and said he had not understood the hunting laws. The officer responded that hunting and fishing both require licenses, proper equipment, and compliance with seasons and other restrictions.

By the end of the investigation, the deer and gun were gone, both men were holding stacks of citations, and a morning chase through the field had become a costly wildlife case.

The footage offered a simple lesson beneath all the legal details: permission to be on the land does not mean permission to chase down deer with a UTV and shoot them with whatever weapon happens to be available.