If you think New York’s deer season has wrapped up quietly, think again.
New York State DEC officers have been dealing with a series of illegal hunting cases that span from the Hudson Valley to the Canadian border. This week, the DEC announced several people were charged for unlawfully hunting deer.
Schoharie County
In Schoharie County, a hunter allegedly saw a 10-point buck from his car, pulled off Wood Drive in Conesville, loaded up, and fired, all within 500 feet of a house!
He also got his truck stuck in the process, which is how ECOs tracked him down. The deer was confiscated, and charges are now pending.
Otsego County
Just 10 days later, officers in Otsego County spotted drag marks, blood, and a gut pile at Basswood State Forest.
Moments later, the suspect drove right past them. ECOs stopped the pickup, noticed blood and gloves, and eventually got the driver to admit he’d illegally taken a deer and stashed it miles away at his camp.
Several tickets were issued
Jefferson County
In Jefferson County, investigators uncovered what appears to be one of the season’s biggest violations.
A hunter who shot four bucks and three does, even though New York law allows just one antlered deer per season, officials say.
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One of the bucks was a massive, highly-watched 10-pointer that local hunters had their eye on.
ECOs confiscated the antlers and hit the hunter with 11 charges, including six misdemeanors.
Wyoming County
Pascal-L-Marius
Pascal-L-Marius
In Wyoming County, a hunter banned years ago for poaching allegedly jumped back into the woods without finishing the state-required safety course.
After denying everything, he confessed when ECOs showed him a photo of himself posing with the trophy buck
Tioga County
The most jaw-dropping case happened in Tioga County, where three people from Cortland County were accused of spotlighting a massive 11-point deer before shooting it from a vehicle in the middle of the night.
All three pleaded guilty. The shooter was fined $3,000, the other two $2,000 each, and the rifle used in the crime has been permanently surrendered.
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The buck, which would have scored roughly 163 inches, will never make the record books because it was taken illegally.
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