Environmental Conservation Officers Dustin Osborne and Nathan Doig, acting on information gathered during the early bear hunting season in Hancock, conducted a patrol focused on hunters taking black bears over bait Sept. 14. ECOs while scouting, documenting evidence of hunting blinds and bait piles and discovered a fresh blood trail approximately 10 yards from a hunting blinds and a group of hunters nearby. The ECOs approached the hunters and one claimed he had shot at and missed a black bear with his rifle.
A search of the area revealed a dead bear near the group. The hunters tried to hide the animal under a pile of leaf litter and debris. The three hunters admitted to hunting over bait and one admitted the shot heard by the officers had killed the black bear. The investigation also revealed the shooter purchased a hunting license online and failed to print his tag, which is required to be affixed to the animal immediately upon harvest. Eight tickets were issued the illegal take of bear, hunting over bait, failing to immediately tag bear, and illegally placing bear feed.
Ticketed were Rosario Gambino, 62, Brooklyn, the shooter of the illegal bear, John Dibartolo, 60, Deer Park, and Ernest Erickson, 71, Melville.
The charges are returnable in Hancock Town Court.
