EnCon Police

MARINE DISTRICT
Western Long Island Sound Patrol Initiative
Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police Officers of the Marine District?s Western Sector conducted vessel patrols of Long Island Sound from Bridgeport to Greenwich over the Veterans Day weekend, resulting in fifteen citations for illegal recreational and commercial fishing violations, primarily in the tautog (blackfish) fishery.
On 11/15/06, EnCon Officers conducted numerous checks of lobstermen, commercial shell fishermen, and recreational and party / charter vessels from Connecticut and New York harbors that were primarily targeting blackfish. Connecticut regulations require a minimum length of fourteen (14) inches for blackfish, with a maximum daily creel limit of four fish per person. On 11/11, eight New York fishermen aboard a large cabin cruiser from Cos Cob were found in possession of sixteen blackfish, all under the minimum legal size; all were issued citations for the violations. Later, three fishermen from New York were in Greenwich waters and had twenty-nine (29) blackfish aboard their small vessel. Each was cited for possession of blackfish over the four per person daily limit. A Bridgeport lobsterman received a citation for possession of egg-bearing lobsters, while a Greenwich commercial shell fisherman was cited for operating a vessel without the required state boating certificate.
On 11/11/06, EnCon Officers again patrolled western Long Island Sound by vessel, and another citation was issued for possession of blackfish over the daily limit to a recreational fisherman in Stamford. Two separate arrests of captains of New York party / charter vessels were made, one in Stamford and another in Greenwich, for operating fare-paying fishing charter vessels in Connecticut waters without a party / charter vessel license. Both captains were released on cash bonds and their cases are scheduled for continuation in Stamford Superior Court.

Illegal Deer Hunting
On 11/10/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Todd Chemacki was patrolling in Madison for archery deer hunting activity. He entered a piece of state property on foot and followed a trail that left the state property and went onto property owned by the town of Madison. The boundaries are clearly marked. While Officer Chemacki was walking the town property he saw a subject in a tree stand with a bow. Officer Chemacki observed the subject stand up, draw back his bow and shoot an arrow at a deer. Officer Chemacki approached the subject to inspect his tags and license. The subject stated he believed he was hunting on the state property but Officer Chemacki informed him that he was illegally on the town property. Officer Chemacki retrieved the arrow and it appeared that the subject had struck the deer. Other officers responded to the area to assist with looking for the wounded deer. Officer Chemacki found another subject that was also archery deer hunting on the town property. The subject that had shot the deer was charged with illegal deer hunting and his companion was charged with deer hunting on private land without written consent. The deer was never located.
Untagged Deer
On 11/4/06, Environmental Conservation Police Sgt. Tom Bull and Officer Ray Ramos were patrolling a section of Cockaponset State Forest in Killingworth. While on foot patrol, they encountered a hunter pushing a cart through the forest. The hunter stated he and his friend had both killed a deer and he was going to retrieve them. The hunter led the officers to the location of his companion and the deer. The officers found that both deer had been field dressed but had not been tagged as required by law. The subjects were issued summonses for the violation and released. Both deer were seized as evidence.
Felony Arrest
On 11/18/06, Environmental Conservation Police Sgt. Ryan Healy and Officer Jim Kane were patrolling for deer hunting activity in the town of Waterford. Officer Kane found a vehicle parked near an abandoned house and began checking the woods in the area. He heard two rifle shots and went to the area where he saw two males carrying rifles and dressed in camouflage clothing. Officer Kane approached the subjects and asked them what they were doing. They replied that they were target shooting. Officer Kane saw a dead deer a short distance from their location and one of the subjects admitted to shooting it. The subject that admitted to shooting the deer had no permits or hunting license. The other subject had a hunting license but no deer tags or written consent to deer hunt the property. Sgt. Healy and Officer Kane brought the subjects back to their patrol car and ran a records check on the subjects. The officers determined that the subject who shot the deer was a convicted felon. He was taken into custody and transported by Officer Kane to Troop E for processing and later released on a $1000.00 bond. The second subject was issued a summons on the scene and released. The rifles and deer were seized as evidence.
EASTERN DISTRICT
Sunday Hunting
On Sunday, 11/5/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Jason Williams and Sgt. Mike Enright responded to an illegal hunting complaint in Thompson. The landowner had heard several shots and found fresh blood and an All Terrain Vehicle track. Officer Williams followed the track to a residence where he observed the ATV with deer hair and blood and observed a deer in a nearby garage. The homeowner arrived at the residence a short time later with his 18 year-old son. They admitted to the illegal activity and surrendered the deer that they had shot on that Sunday and the untagged deer that they had shot the day before, along with their rifles. They were charged with Illegal deer hunting, Hunting on Sunday, Illegal Possession of Deer, Hunting without Consent, Failure to Wear Fluorescent Orange and Criminal Trespass 3rd.

Untagged Deer
On 11/11/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Joe Ruggiero was dispatched to a report of illegal deer hunting in Middletown. Upon his arrival, Officer Ruggiero observed a vehicle parked in the area of the complaint. He walked into the woods and located an unoccupied tree stand. He went back to the vehicle and waited for the hunters to return. At 5:20 p.m., he observed three hunters returning, one of them was dragging a deer. Two hunters were carrying rifles and one was carrying a crossbow. The crossbow hunter said that he had shot the deer. Officer Ruggiero noted that the deer had not been tagged. The hunter was charged with that violation and the deer was seized as evidence.
On 11/14/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Ed Yescott and Captain John Smutnick received a complaint that a hunter had found a baited tree stand in Meshomasic State Forest in Glastonbury. The officers found the area and located the tree stand and observed several piles of apples and corn. They returned to the area on the next day at 9:15 a.m. and observed a hunter in the tree stand and a dead buck deer nearby. He was charged with Hunting Deer over Bait and Failure to Tag the Deer. His two brothers were located nearby. They were also hunting over separate bait piles. They were both charged with Hunting Deer over Bait. The guns and deer were seized.
On 11/18/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Eric Johnson and Sgt. Mike Enright responded to a complaint of illegal deer hunting in Hampton. The officers checked the area and encountered two hunters with four untagged deer. They had shot the deer over an hour before and had not tagged any of the deer. They were charged with Possession of Untagged Deer and the deer and their unused tags were seized.
Illegal Deer Hunting
On 11/24/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Jason Williams responded to a complaint of shots fired in Killingly. The complainant said that he was looking out his window at several deer when he heard some shots and saw one of the deer fall. He looked out his apartment and saw that his neighbor had shot the deer with a rifle from the adjoining deck of the same building. The shooter was charged with Illegal Deer Hunting, Hunting within 500 ft. of a Building, and Hunting without the Landowner?s Permission.
Loaded Weapon in a Motor Vehicle
On 11/23/06, Environmental Conservation Police Colonel Eric Nelson and Sgt. Mike Enright were on patrol in Stafford when they observed a vehicle parked on a dirt road. They parked their patrol vehicle and approached the vehicle on foot. They spoke with the occupant who admitted that he was deer hunting on the nearby property. The officers observed a rifle in the vehicle with its? muzzle pointed towards the floor. The hunter said that the rifle was not loaded. However, upon inspection the officers found that the .270 bolt- action rifle had one round in the chamber and two more in the magazine. The officers also determined that the nearest house was only 164 feet away. The hunter was charged with Loaded Weapon in a Motor Vehicle and Possession of Loaded Hunting Weapon within 500? of a Building. The rifle and ammunition were seized.
WESTERN DISTRICT
Deer Hunting Violations
During the month of November Western District Environmental Conservation Police officers investigated 26 complaints of illegal deer hunting. From these complaints officers made 20 arrests and issued 9 written warnings. Included in these incidents are the following significant arrests.
Negligent Hunting and Forgery
On 11/3/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers Ed Yescott and Keith Schneider were patrolling a portion of land in Berlin owned by the New Britain Water Company. Officer Yescott discovered an archery hunter in a tree stand on the Water Company property. Officer Yescott determined that the hunter did not have permission to hunt on the Water Company property. The hunter did produce a consent form for 18 acres of neighboring property. The hunter was arrested for Negligent Hunting 4th degree and released on a written promise to appear in court. Officer Yescott contacted the owner of the property that the hunter had written permission for and determined that the parcel of land was only 3 acres, not 18. The landowner indicated that she only signed her name on the consent form and the hunter filled out the rest. Officer Yescott and Sgt James Warren obtained a search warrant to seize the consent form from the hunter which they executed and seized the consent form. As the hunter falsely completed the state required consent form Officer Yescott obtained an arrest warrant for the hunter for Forgery 2nd degree and False Statement.
Hunting Over Bait and Using Another Hunter?s Tags
On 11/11/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officer Keith Schneider was dispatched to a report of a single gunshot in Litchfield. The caller stated that the shot was at approximately 4:50pm, which was after legal hunting hours. Officer Schneider checked the area and observed a vehicle pulled up to a barn. Officer Schneider observed a deer hanging and a person with a knife field dressing the deer. Officer Schneider saw that the deer had a brown tag on its ear indicating free landowner season tags. The person skinning the deer told Officer Schneider that he had shot the deer but could not tell what time he shot the deer, just that it was still light enough to shoot. He did not know what time sunset was. Officer Schneider then determined that the person was landowner?s stepson and discovered that the tag on the deer was issued to the person?s stepfather. The subject stated that he thought that it was a doe and did not realize that it was a spike buck, and did not want to waste his buck tag. When Officer Schneider went to the location where the subject had shot the deer he discovered a pile of apples being used as bait for the deer. Officer Schneider seized the deer and the subject?s permits. The subject was then arrested for Illegal Deer Hunting over Bait and Using Deer Tags Issued to Another.

Convicted Felon Arrested
On 11/16/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers Keith Schneider and Paul Hilli responded to a report of a hunter in full camouflage with a rifle entering the woods on private property off of Scofield Hill Rd. in the Town of Washington. Officers Schneider and Hilli checked the area and discovered a hunter with a rifle exiting the woods. The hunter was not wearing fluorescent orange clothing and did not have a valid consent form for the property he was hunting and was not carrying his deer tags. When a record check was conducted it was determined that the hunter was a convicted felon. The rifle that the hunter was carrying was seized as evidence. Convicted felons are prohibited from possessing a firearm. The hunter was taken into custody and charged with Failure to Wear Fluorescent Orange, Hunting Deer without Consent of the Landowner, Hunting Deer without Carrying a Deer Permit and Criminal Possession of a Firearm. The hunter was released on bond.
Deer Permit Chad leads to Arrest
On 11/15/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers Paul Hilli and Ralph Concepcion responded to a complaint of an illegal deer hunter on private property in Sharon. The officers determined that the complainant had seen an individual shoot on the private property that he managed. The complainant was familiar with the hunter and had previously told him not to trespass on the property. The complainant observed the hunter dragging a deer off the property without attaching the harvest tag as required. When the complainant told the hunter that he needed to tag his deer the hunter then punched out the holes (chad) indicating the date of kill and continued to drag the deer off the property. The complainant then called the DEP and got in his vehicle and temporarily blocked the hunter?s vehicle. The hunter became angry when the complainant told him that he had called the EnCon Police. At that point the complainant felt threatened by the hunter and moved his vehicle. The hunter left with the deer. The complainant showed Officer Hilli were the deer had been killed. Officer Hilli located the punched out hole (chad) from the hunter?s harvest tag, which was identified by the complainant as coming from the hunter?s. Officer Hilli located the hunter, seized the deer and the hunter?s rifle and arrested the hunter for Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree and Failure to Carry Written Consent of the Landowner.
ATV DUI Arrest
On 11/24/06, Environmental Conservation Police Officers Keith Schneider, Paul Hilli and Erin Crossman were patrolling in Goshen. The officers responded to a complaint of an ATV being operated on private property without permission. The property owner was attempting to stop the ATV from leaving his property, which was clearly posted against trespassing. It was determined that in addition to trespassing on the private property that it appeared that the operator was operating under the influence of alcohol. 10 empty beer cans were found in the operator?s backpack. Officer Crossman performed a field sobriety test and placed the ATV operator under arrest. The ATV operator was transported to Troop B Connecticut State Police where he refused to perform an alcohol breath test. The operator was charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree and Operating an ATV While Under the Influence.
Search Warrant Executed
On 11/27/06, Environmental Conservation Police Sgt James Warren and Officer Tate Begley were conducting surveillance on a location in New Milford. Officer Begley had developed information that a group of poachers were killing large numbers of deer and selling the meat. On 11/27/06, Sgt Warren and Officer Begley observed suspects enter the driveway at the location with what appeared to be an untagged deer in the back of a pickup truck. Sgt Warren and Officer Begley stopped the suspect in the driveway and verified that the deer in the back of the truck had not been tagged. Sgt Warren and Officer Begley also observed what appeared to be blood flowing out from under a barn door adjacent to the truck. Officers Paul Hilli, Keith Schneider, Stan Kucia, Pete McGinn and Laura Gregonis also responded to the location. Based on evidence gathered the officers obtained search warrants for the barn and for one of the other vehicles in the driveway. Upon executing the search warrants the officers seized three rifles from a vehicle, 5 deer carcasses and numerous deer parts, photos, knives and other meat processing equipment from the barn. Three subjects were arrested for a variety of hunting violations. Additional charges are pending for criminal violations uncovered during the search.

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Captain Raul Camejo
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police

Bob & Mag

Thanks for the updates.
Glad some of those fish CT waters and using NY limits got caught.
A lot of NY boats in some of the spots we fished and find it hard to believe they'd run across the sound to catch fewer fish.

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of food, electricity, gas, and oil, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.

Smoke free 4 Months!

H'Islander

My sincere thanks to all in your efforts - Bravo, ladies and gents, Bravo!!!

TRIPLE J

Even though I am a self admitted (M*******) ,and the report is fom CT. I second what H'Ilander said. It takes alot of balls to walk into the woods by yourself, knowing that somebody is in there with a loaded weapon.

A BIG THANK YOU.

Rich

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BOSNIA,KOSOVO,SAUDI ARABIA, KUWAIT,IRAQ,
WHERE WILL THEY SEND ME NEXT

ChuckA

Nice report , Maybe if the word gets out that you guys are out looking for the bad guys some of them will think twice,Probably not .Thanks for the Great job By the D.E.P. and the People who made the phone calls about the poachers.

saskwatch

great job