DEC: Hunter’s Facebook post leads police to illegal deer

GREENE COUNTY, NY (NEWS10) — A hunter who bragged about his massive cash on social media in early December will prove nothing after conservation officials learned the deer was illegally captured, according to a press release from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Officer Lucas Palmateer learned of the deer on Dec. 7, after a community member brought the Facebook post to officers’ attention.

A local source indicated that the man moved from the Capital Region to the town of Hope in Hamilton County. Fulton County Officer Shane Manns took the case and investigated locations associated with the hunter.

Officer Manns then turned over information to Hamilton County Environmental Preservation Officer Jared Newell, who, along with Lieutenant Robert Higgins, saw the deer hanging from a property. The officers questioned the subject and he admitted to shooting the deer on Dec. 6, after the season ended, police said.

He would also not have a hunting license. Officer Newell issued tickets for illegally capturing a deer out of season, a misdemeanor, as well as hunting without a license, a misdemeanor.

The agents confiscated the deer and donated it to the Venison Donation Coalition, a group that helps feed families in need across the state.