WYOMING COUNTY, N.Y. — A Wyoming County man was charged with taking more bucks than legally allowed during hunting season last year.
Officials say the investigation started in January 2024 when a NYS Department of Conservation (NYS DEC) lieutenant received a tip that a Silver Springs man had taken more than the legal limit of bucks during the 2023 hunting season. The person who called in the tip allegedly said the bucks were at a local taxidermy shop.
Lt. RJ Ward and Environmental Conservation Officer Koepf visited the shop and spoke to the owner who, they say, gave the detailed records of capes and antlers the hunter dropped off. Investigators say the man dropped off four antlered deer to be mounted, two with his own tags and two tags allegedly from his brother.
According to the NYS DEC, the two bucks with tags that had the brother's name on them showed the buck was taken on different Tuesdays during the season. The officers s investigated and subpoenaed the brother's time and attendance records at his place of employment. They say the brother was at work on those Tuesdays in question.
Investigators say the brother admitted he had not hunted that season gave his tags to his brother.
DEC officials say the hunter then claimed that he had hunted the two bucks legally and found the other two dead and put his brother's tags on them.
After executing a search warrant for the hunter's cell phone and home they charged him with offering a false instrument for filing, taking deer over the limit, and accepting tags of another. His brother was also charged with two violation counts of lending tags to another.
The hunter pleaded guilty to only one count of attempted offering of a false instrument for filing in the second degree misdemeanor, one misdemeanor count of taking deer over the bag limit, and one violation count of accepting tags of another He had to pay more than $900 in fines, fees and surcharges. He also had to surrender two racks from deer he took over the limit and could face losing his hunting license for up to five years.
