On Feb. 26, Environmental Conservation Officer Jeffrey Krueger concluded an investigation by charging two coyote hunters with several ECL violations after New York State Police contacted Officer Krueger regarding a family dog shot by coyote hunters after dark on Feb. 21.
The two hunters had been traveling to a hunting location in the town of Groton when one hunter saw what he believed to be the eyes of a coyote in a field and asked the driver to stop. The passenger loaded his rifle with one round, walked to a gated fence, and shot into the field.
According to the officer, the driver then went to look for the coyote and pulled into a nearby driveway, where he discovered they had actually shot the resident’s dog.
A State Trooper responded, conducted initial interviews, and turned the case over to Officer Krueger, who found evidence indicating that shots had been fired within 500 feet of the complainant’s home and that the area was posted property.
After determining that the dog, transported to Cornell Animal Hospital the night of the incident, was expected to recover, the officer contacted the hunters and had them meet him at State Police Barracks in Dryden. Both hunters were cooperative and provided written statements.
The driver, a Cortland resident, was charged with operating an artificial light with an unsecured gun in a motor vehicle. The shooter, also from Cortland, was charged with operating an artificial light with an unsecured gun in a motor vehicle, shooting within 500 feet of a dwelling, and trespassing on posted property.
Both will be answering charges in the Town of Dryden Court.
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