New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers and environmental conservation officers recently helped injured hikers, put out wildfires, patrolled illegal fishing activity and investigated a hunting-related shooting incident in the North Country.

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Luzerne wildfire

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On May 1 at 5:58 p.m., Ranger Evan Donegan responded to a call for a large brush fire in Lake Luzerne. Two additional rangers were called in to assist the six fire departments trying to get the fire under control. The majority of the 75-acre fire was on private property and no structures were threatened. Four rangers returned the next morning and contained what was left of the fire.

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Injured knee on Algonquin

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Essex County 911 requested forest ranger assistance for a hiker suffering from an unstable knee injury on Algonquin Peak on April 30 at 10 p.m. Ranger Peter Evans made contact with the 25-year-old from Vermont and instructed her partner to make a brace so the pair could continue moving downhill. When rangers Evans and Andrew Lewis reached the hiker at 1:30 a.m., they re-splinted the knee and helped the hikers out of the woods. At 6 a.m., the subject went to Glens Falls Hospital for further treatment.

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Fishing violations

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On the morning of April 15, Lieutenant Robert Higgins and ECO Alan Brassard patrolled a small trout pond in Queensbury and discovered several anglers catching freshly stocked trout without incident. However, some anglers also possessed out-of-season chain pickerel. In addition, two fishermen had failed to buy a fishing license, resulting in tickets to the offenders.

Later that afternoon, ECO George Lapoint patrolled stocked streams in Lake George and located two anglers, one of whom exceeded the limit of trout he could legally catch and the other who did not have a valid fishing license. Lapoint issued tickets to both anglers and educated the pair about daily limits and how purchasing a fishing license supports fish stocking in New York state.

Later that night, Higgins and Lapoint teamed up to check on the spawning smelt in the tributaries of Lake George. It is illegal to fish for or possess smelt during the spawning period. While patrolling one of the tributaries in the town of Hague, the officers located a truck parked next to the brook and noticed a flashlight shining on the water. The ECOs quickly apprehended the violators in possession of a net and a bucket of smelt and issued tickets for taking smelt during the closed season.

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Disposition in hunting-related shooting incident

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A man who shot a firearm in Franklin County, sending a bullet into a house, recently pleaded guilty to criminal charges and paid a penalty. In November 2020, Environmental Conservation Officer Jennifer Okonuk received reports from New York State Police that a house on Cold Springs Road in the town of Bombay had been struck by a bullet that passed through several walls before stopping in a closet. A witness reported seeing hunters in the area on the day of the shooting, but could not identify the individuals. Okonuk patrolled the area and conducted multiple interviews before a suspect was identified. Okonuk questioned the accused shooter who explained that he shot at a deer and unintentionally hit the house. The hunter was arrested a few months later. After his guilty plea, the subject paid more than $5,000 in restitution to the landowner for damages to the house. ECOs also plan to revoke his hunting license.