Two 19-year-olds arrested on Oprah’s ranch in Hawaii, suspected of illegal hunting

KULA, Hawaii (AP) — Two men arrested last month on a public road on Oprah Winfrey’s property on the Hawaiian island of Maui are suspected of illegal nighttime hunting, state officials said Monday.

The two 19-year-old Maui men were arrested shortly before midnight on June 21 after officers caught 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.

Although they were not caught hunting, officers found a loaded shotgun and a loaded rifle in the couple’s truck. The road where they were stopped is surrounded by Winfrey’s ranch, the state said.

The men were arrested on suspicion of illegal hunting on private property, hunting without a license and other violations. One of them was also arrested for carrying an unregistered semi-automatic rifle.

Invasive axis deer are running rampant on Maui and other Hawaiian islands.

Maui County prosecutors will review the case and decide whether to file charges. Records show the men have been released pending investigation, county officials said.

“Last month, the DLNR contacted the Upcountry ranchers about their efforts to prevent illegal poaching throughout the region and we agreed to work together. The arrests did not occur on the property,” Winfrey’s production company Harpo said in an emailed statement Monday.