A hunter recently paid a penalty for illegally taking a deer in Yates County last fall.
On November 12th, a state DEC officer was patrolling in the town of Italy when he observed a young man operating an ATV without a helmet. The Officer stopped the rider and escorted him back to his camp to speak with his parents about the unregistered ATV and the rider not wearing a helmet. Upon entering the camp driveway, the officer observed a small shed with multiple bags of corn and sweet feed inside, as well as a dead 10-point buck in the back of a pickup truck. The hunter, who had harvested the deer, emerged from the cabin with his deer tag in a bag to show the Officer. After a brief interview, the hunter led the officer to an elevated box blind where he had harvested the deer. About 30 yards from the blind, the officer spotted a large pile of corn, sweet feed, and pumpkins.
The hunter admitted to placing the bait at the location and agreed to an administrative penalty of $600 in satisfaction of the charges of illegally harvesting a whitetail deer, intentionally feeding deer, hunting with the aid of a pre-established bait pile, failing to attach a carcass tag, and hunting with a crossbow less than 17 inches wide.
The DEC officer seized the deer and donated the meat.