2 Hunters Caught Illegally Harvesting Deer At Park On Long Island: DEC

YAPHANK, NY — Two hunters were caught illegally harvesting a deer at South County Park in Yaphank recently, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said.

Environmental Conservation Officers were alerted by a park visitor and then saw footprints and fresh blood near tire tracks where the suspected vehicle had parked, and then the next day, four officers and two Suffolk park rangers followed the footprints through the park and found evidence consistent with an animal being killed, according to the agency.

Officers interviewed two people identified during the investigation, and the first subject admitted to carrying a bow in the park and failing to have a hunting license, while the second admitted to shooting the deer in the park, the agency said.

Notices of Violation were issued for trespassing, unlawful taking of deer, hunting without a license, and additional charges for hunting in a park closed to deer hunting, according to the agency.