DEC issues environmental conservation police officer highlights
On Nov. 29, 2021, Oneida County Environmental Conservation Officer Noyes received an anonymous tip about a large buck shot on a baited property in the town of Forestport. Noyes responded to the property and found no one home but observed a blood trail in the driveway leading to a barn and a fresh gut pile with salt lick, pumpkins, corn and bait block scattered throughout the yard.
Early the next morning, Noyes went back to the residence and interviewed the couple living there. Faced with mounting evidence against them, the husband took Noyes to the barn and showed him a hanging 10-point buck. After questioning, the couple admitted they went hunting together on their baited property and the wife shot the 10-point buck using her husband’s buck tag, since she had no hunting license.
Noyes seized the buck and issued summonses returnable to Forestport Town Court for several violations, including illegal take of wildlife, hunting over bait, lending tags to another, failing to tag deer as required, placing salt licks on lands inhabited by deer and hunting without a license.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation police officers and investigators enforce the 71 Chapters of NY Environmental Conservation Law, protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight game protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York state. In 2020, the 298 ECOs and Investigators across the state responded to 29,673 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 11,952 tickets or arrests for crimes ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, black market pet trade and excessive emissions violations.
“DEC’s environmental conservation police officers are working hard in communities across New York to protect natural resources by upholding our state’s stringent laws and regulations and protecting public safety,” Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “Our ECOs are expertly trained to perform their duties in every setting – from cities to wilderness – and continue to adapt to meet new and emerging challenges as they build on their longstanding commitment to protect New York’s environment.”
If you witness an environmental crime or believe a violation of environmental law occurred, call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 844.DEC.ECOS (844.332.3267).