23-year-old dies during illegal hunt, state officials say

A man faces felony charges in connection with the death

ByWSBTV.com News Staff

September 26, 2026 at 10:18 pm EDT

+Caption(Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

WHEELER COUNTY, Ga. — A 23-year-old man was shot and killed during an illegal hunting activity involving five adults Saturday in south Georgia, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Enforcement Law Enforcement Division said.

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The shooting happened near Spring Hill Road in Alamo.

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Howard Benjie Hartley, 57, of Glenwood was arrested in connection with the deadly incident.

Game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division responded to the area at approximately 3:30 a.m. after being requested by the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office.

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State officials said preliminary findings indicate the victim was killed while the group was engaged in illegal hunting. The precise circumstances behind the shooting weren’t disclosed.

Hartley has been charged with felony involuntary manslaughter, hunting deer at night, hunting from a motor vehicle and hunting big game from a public road.

The Department of Natural Resources Critical Incident Reconstruction Team is leading the ongoing investigation into the deadly shooting.

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