Recorder News Staff
The local residents who were charged during the state Department of Environmental Conservation' recent deer-jacking enforcement detail weren't alleged to have involvement in the attempt to kill deer at night with the use of artificial light.
But the charges pressed against those arrested is still indicative of a larger problem of people who don't follow the sport's rules, officials said.
The DEC on Tuesday announced the net arrests of nearly 70 people during a blanket deer-taking enforcement detail in the 4th and 5th regions of the agency, a scaled-back version of a statewide investigation initiated in 2009.
Comparatively, the number of those arrested was less than investigations of previous years. In 2009, 107 people were charged, and in 2010, 137 violators were ticketed.
The decline could be attributed to a smaller saturated-patrol area, but DEC Region 5 Capt. Lawrence DiDonato said it was admittedly more difficult to find people jacking deer with artificial light this year.
"It's a little bit less than in the past. The arrests are getting harder and harder to make -- we attribute that to people being knowledgeable about our patrols."
This is DEC's third large-scale enforcement detail that's focused on deer-jacking. It involves night hunting, where poachers shine a spotlight on a deer feeding in fields to freeze the animal long enough to shoot it -- killing deer when they are most vulnerable.
The term deer-jacking comes from jack-lighting, "like a jack-o'-lantern," DiDonato said, indicating the activity has been around way before flashlights. He estimates it emerged in the late 19th century when people used reflective candle towers reminiscent of light houses.
"It's the most heinous of offenses against wildlife," DiDonato said. "Deer are naturally wary at night, and shining the light on them literally makes them freeze. Deer-jacking can really put a hurting on the deer population."
Not all enforcement details were undertaken at night, DiDonato said. On opening day Oct. 22, environmental conservation officers observed a car stopped along a road in Oppenheim, where a decoy had been set up. Officers observed James T. George Jr., 28, of Oppenheim, who took a shot at the decoy, deploying the gun over a public highway.
"We placed the decoy in an area that's known to be a problem road," DiDonato said. "It's a public safety issue. While we didn't have any incidents this year, in the past, hunters who were waiting in their tree stands have been shot by people shooting from the road. When you're on the road, you don't know who's in the woods -- it's not safe."
Montgomery County Undersheriff Jeffery T. Smith said the department consistently fields complaints about illegal deer taking, trespassing and other related offenses -- including deer jacking. He said most complaints stem from the central and western part of the county because its largely rural.
"We get a ton of complaints, and it really is a case of people not following the rules. Mainly, complaints come from trespassing, but we do get some about deer jacking. We've even made a couple of arrests this year for people who had spotlights and guns in their vehicles, and on opening weekend, we did road checks to make sure people didn't have illegal deer," Smith said.
Smith said the department often works collaboratively with DEC on deer-jacking complaints, providing tips, patrolling "hot hunting areas," and doing road checks to check deer tags and licenses.
Taking of deer with the aid of an artificial light is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $250 to $2,000 and/or incarceration for up to one year, as well as possible revocation of hunting privileges for up to five years.
Operating an artificial light on lands inhabited by deer while possessing a firearm is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $200 to $1,000 and/or incarceration for up to 90 days.
Out of the 69 people arrested during the patrols from late October and the first three weeks of November, eight hail from Fulton and Montgomery Counties. Region 4 of DEC encompasses Columbia, Greene, Delaware, Rensselaer, Albany, Schoharie, Otsego, Schenectady, and Montgomery counties, while Region 5 is comprised of Fulton, Saratoga, Washington, Warren, Hamilton, Essex, Franklin, and Clinton Counties.
DEC encourages anyone with information on environmental crimes and violations are urged to call its 24-hour hotline, (800) TIPP-DEC. Callers may request to file complaints anonymously.