Hunter Pays Fine For Baiting Deer With Molasses On Tree

IRVINGTON, NY — It may have taken a few months, but a deer hunter in Westchester County received paid a fine for crimes committed last November in the village of Irvington.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation police were called Nov. 7 by the Village of Irvington Police Department about a truck suspiciously parked off the Saw Mill River Parkway with hunting gear inside.

A DEC officer went to the area and approached a hunter as he exited the wood with a bow and seven-point buck.

The hunter, who claimed he was hunting on private property, received tickets for incorrect tags and violating the village's noise ordinance.

The next morning, officers discovered the hunter may not have been telling the truth because they found the gut pile of the seven-pointer.

Officers followed the blood trail back to where the deer was believed to be shot on village land, not private property.

After further investigation, including images from nearby trail cameras, the hunter admitted putting molasses on a tree in the area before the season to view the deer.

The hunter was additionally charged with hunting deer with a pre-established bait pile and illegal take of big game.

He paid a $500 penalty in the Village of Irvington Court.