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By David Figura l dfigura@NYup.com

A state Department of Environmental Conservation officer recently worked with volunteer firefighters from a Central New York village to save a red-tailed hawk that was tangled in a tree with a trap on its leg.

Specifics on the incident and others below were supplied by the DEC.

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Hawk Rescue - Cayuga County

“On Dec. 3, ECO Scott Sincebaugh responded to a report of an injured hawk stuck in a tree off State Rt. 34 in the town of Cato. ECO Sincebaugh arrived to find a red-tailed hawk in the tree with a trap firmly clamped to its leg. The chain on the trap had become tangled on a tree branch, leaving the bird dangling helplessly from the tree. After assessing the situation, ECO Sincebaugh coordinated with Weedsport Fire Department personnel to respond with a ladder truck in order to free the bird. Once the bird was out of the tree, the ECO removed the trap from the bird's leg. The trap had no tag identifying the owner as required by law, making it impossible to determine where the hawk had encountered the trap. The hawk was not seriously injured and was transported to a wildlife rehabilitator for evaluation and future release.”

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Lake Carmel Heating Oil Spill - Putnam County

“On Dec. 3, ECO Craig Tompkins received a call reporting a home heating oil spill entering Lake Carmel in the town of Kent. Kent Police Department officers were the first to respond and detected a petroleum odor around the lake, which they traced back to a discharge pipe close to the shoreline. Lake Carmel Fire Department responded and traced the heating oil through the storm sewer system to a home being renovated. The Putnam County Hazardous Material Response Team contained the oil on Lake Carmel. ECO Tompkins and DEC Spills Responder Keith Browne focused on cleaning up the spill. Staff from Tri-State Environmental Services Inc. arrived later in the day, finished the cleanup and determined that there were no impacts to drinking water. The homeowner stated that two above-ground oil tanks had been removed from the property a few days prior. The homeowner stated that he removed the tanks himself and disposed of them. He was issued tickets for failing to report a spill within two hours as required by Environmental Conservation Law and polluting the waters of the state in contravention of standards. Both tickets are returnable to the Town of Kent Court in January 2018.”

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Bobcat and Deer Case - Rensselaer County

“On Dec. 6, ECO Brian Canzeri received a call concerning a bobcat in the town of Schaghticoke. When the officer arrived, the complainant stated that his neighbors had been using his garage with his permission, but he suspected that something was suspicious. He lead ECO Canzeri into the garage and showed him four fresh deer heads and a dead bobcat. A series of interviews with potential suspects yielded a man who admitted to shooting the bobcat in a closed area while hunting without a small game license. Later that same day, the subject had also shot a doe without a big game license and used a Deer Management Unit tag from outside the area that was provided by a different person. During his investigation, ECO Canzeri identified two additional men that had failed to report their deer harvests. A total of 14 tickets were issued for these violations, and the deer and bobcat were confiscated.”

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Too Dark to Hunt - Niagara County

“On Dec. 7, ECO George Scheer was following up on a tip he received a few days earlier regarding hunting over bait in the hamlet of Burt. ECO Scheer set up to watch an area where the complainant advised a baited tree stand was located. A hunter was observed in the deer stand, where a considerable pile of pumpkins, corn cobs, and squash was also spotted. The sun started to set and the ECO made contact with the hunter. After a short interview, the hunter admitted that he did not know what time legal sunset was that day. When asked about the bait pile, the hunter claimed he hadn't placed it there. ECO Scheer charged the hunter with hunting deer with the aid of bait and hunting big game after sunset. The charges will be answered in the Town of Newfane Court.

DEC reminds hunters that legal hunting hours are from official sunrise to official sunset.“

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