ROYALTON — Authorities say two central Vermont men were caught in a Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department sting Friday aimed at stopping deer poaching.

Mikel Brady, 23, of Randolph, and Joshua Hill, 23, of Bethel, are both facing charges of taking a deer out of season.

Fish and Wildlife set up a deer decoy in Royalton on Friday night. Around 10:45 p.m., shots were fired at the decoy and Warden Keith Gallant pulled over the vehicle believed to be responsible. Brady, Hill and a 15-year-old were in the vehicle, authorities said.

No gun was found in the vehicle, but game wardens said they found a gun along the roadside after a brother of one of the suspects drove out to the scene with three others to locate the gun.