Over three days last week, four hunters in Upstate New York got lost while tracking deer and were rescued by New York State Department of Environmental forest rangers and other law enforcement personnel.
On the evening of Oct. 28, two 59-year-old hunters got lost in Dutton Ridge State Forest. A ranger patrolling nearby first found their vehicle, then found the lost hunters an hour later and assisted them out of the woods.
A 67-year-old hunter from Ancram got lost on the night of Oct. 29 in Lesser Wilderness State Forest. Using cell phone coordinates, rescuers located him in good health. His flashlight had died and his cell phone was almost dead.
Rangers suggest hikers and hunters bring light sources such as headlamps with extra batteries and not rely on phones for navigation and light. In the wilderness, cell phone batteries lose charge more quickly.
A 34-year-old hunter from Ticonderoga failed to make it out of the woods on Oct. 31, though he spoke with his hunting partner through the night. His family reported him missing the next day. Two rangers searched the area and found items belonging to the hunter. Meanwhile, the hunter made it to a home on Canfield Road. He refused medical attention but accepted a ride from a friend to the hospital due to cramping from dehydration and exhaustion.
Rangers helped conduct a prescribed burn of more than four acres at the Albany Pine Bush on Oct. 28, and 34 acres at Moreau Lake State Park on Oct. 29. Prescribed fire is an important land management tool used to improve habitat for lands and wildlife by preventing the spread of invasive species, and reducing the potential for wildfires.NYS DECThe following reports are excerpted from DEC:
Rangers helped conduct a prescribed burn of more than four acres at the Albany Pine Bush on Oct. 28, and 34 acres at Moreau Lake State Park on Oct. 29. Prescribed fire is an important land management tool used to improve habitat by preventing the spread of invasive species, and reducing the potential for wildfires.
On the morning of Oct. 29 at 9:55 a.m., an unattended campfire spread out of control in the town of Naples near Clement Road. Two rangers and the Naples Fire Department got it under control by 3 p.m. The wildfire was declared out the next day.
A 57-year-old hiker hurt their knee below North Point at Artist Rock in the town of Hunter on Oct. 31. A ranger assisted the hiker back to North South Lake Campground.
Two anglers ran their boat aground in shallow water approximately 100 yards from shore in Black River Bay on the night of Nov. 1. A forest ranger joined local law enforcement and fire personnel in rescuing the anglers with an inflatable raft.
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