December 23, 2011
By Gordon Block, WatertownDailyTimes.com
The Department of Environmental Conservation Wednesday afternoon
released its list of individuals charged with violating state
conservation rules while hunting in Region 6, which includes Herkimer,
Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and St. Lawrence counties during the big game
season. The individuals charged in Lewis County are:
■ On Sept. 17, Clay Duncan, 39; Greig, Barrett Mikalunas, 45,
Sherburne; and Lucas Mikalunas, 20, Sherburne, were charged with hunting
bear with the aid of a bait pile, a violation. Mr. Lucas and Mr.
Mikalunas were additionally charged with failure to carry their hunting
licenses, a violation. All subjects were issued tickets returnable to
the town of Greig Court.
■ On Oct. 2, Roger Croniser, 52, West Leyden, was charged with
violating a DEC permit condition, and illegal possession of protected
wildlife, both violations, in connection with a captive deer that the
defendant houses. The tickets are returnable to the town of Lewis Court
and he faces fines up to $500 and/or up to 30 days in jail.
■ On Oct. 3, a 15-year-old juvenile, New Bremen, was charged with
possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle and taking wild deer
out of season, stemming from an investigation in September. The case was
referred to Lewis County Probation and he was sentenced to 40 hours of
community service.
■ On Oct. 6, Allen Bender, 34, Croghan, was charged with placing a
salt lick for non-agricultural means, a violation. A ticket was issued
for the town of Watson Court.
■ On Oct. 14, Ervin Seelman, 30, West Leyden, was charged with
spotlighting while in possession of an unsecure firearm, a misdemeanor.
He was issued a ticket returnable to the town of Lewis Court.
■ On Oct. 15, Stephen Malone, 50, Lowville, was charged with
discharging a firearm from a public highway, a misdemeanor. He was
issued a ticket returnable to the town of Pinckney Court.
■ On Oct. 18, Richard Rice, 64, New Bremen, was charged with
possession of an untagged deer. He pleaded guilty and received a $100
fine in the town of New Bremen Court.
■ On Oct. 23, Lewis County Sheriff’s Department charged Travis I.
Shampine, 19, Carthage, with second-degree manslaughter and remanded to
Lewis County Jail on $15,000 bail, in relation to the hunting-related
shooting death of Arnold Camidge, 55, Carthage. Pending Environmental
Conservation Law violations against Mr. Shampine include: hunting deer
with rimfire ammunition; hunting big game during closed hours (after
sunset) and hunting big game without a valid license. Two other members
of the hunting party, Stuart A. Shampine, 38, and Shawn P. Edick, 29,
Carthage, have each been charged with hunting big game after sunset and
hunting big game without a valid license. Their charges are answerable
in town of Denmark Court in January.
■ On Oct. 26, Scott Riccio, 21, Beaver Falls, was charged with the
possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. An
appearance ticket was issued and was returnable to New Bremen Town
Justice.
■ On Nov. 3, Elwood E. Mcdougall, 33, Port Leyden, was charged with
failure to report a deer kill within seven days, answerable in the town
of Lyonsdale Court. Mr. Mcdougall was also charged with third-degree
aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the town of
Watson.
■ On Nov. 5, David L. Womack, 23, Lowville, was charged with hunting
during closed hours and trespassing, both violations. The charges are
answerable in the town of Pinckney Court.
■ On Nov. 7, Andrew Peters, 28, Croghan, was charged with the
possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. An
appearance ticket was issued and was returnable to New Bremen Town
Justice.
■ On Nov. 8, three Port Leyden brothers, Brian A. Nagy, 21, Robert K.
Nagy, 24, and Chase A. Nagy, 25, were each charged with misdemeanors of
taking deer with the aid of artificial light; taking an illegal deer and
possessing an unsecured firearm while using artificial light on lands
inhabited by deer. The three were also charged with the violation of
taking wildlife with the aid of a motor vehicle. The three are to appear
in the town of Lyonsdale Court in February.
■ On Nov. 13, Joseph E. Cullings, 48, West Leyden, was charged with
possessing a loaded gun in a motor vehicle and shooting from a public
highway. Both charges are misdemeanors. Case is returnable to town of
Lewis Court.
■ On Nov. 14, Robert E. Seelman, 54, West Leyden, was charged with
use of light with an unsecured gun. Case is a misdemeanor returnable to
town of Lewis Court.
■ On Nov. 15, Robert P. Manning, 52, Lyons Falls, was charged with
use of a light with an unsecured gun. Case is a misdemeanor returnable
to town of Turin Court.
■ On Nov. 18, Gary Mayer, 51, Boonville, was charged with failing to
tag deer as required, a violation. Case is returnable to the town of
Leyden Court.
■ On Nov. 18, Christopher Earl, 51, Constableville, was charged with
possessing the license of another, a violation. Case is returnable to
town of West Turin Court.
■ On Nov. 22, Christopher Thomas, 42, Lowville, was charged with
hunting big game without the possession of carcass tags, a violation.
The charge is answerable to town of Montague Court.
■ On Nov. 23, Michael Dobbins, 23, Lorraine, was charged with the
possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle and using artificial
lights from a motor vehicle while possessing a firearm, both
misdemeanors. Joshua Beutel, 19, Adams Center, and Derek Ritz, 22,
Rodman, were also charged with using artificial lights from a motor
vehicle while possessing a firearm, a misdemeanor. Appearance tickets
were issued and all are returnable to Harrisburg Town Court.
■ On Dec. 3, Jason Cullen, 33, Carthage, was charged with discharging
a firearm from a public highway, a misdemeanor. He was issued a ticket
for the town of Croghan Court.
■ On Dec. 3, Steven Waite, 49, Carthage, and Kevin Deforges, 48, of
Whiting, Vt., were charged with discharging a firearm from a public
highway and possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle.
■ On Dec. 3, Peter LaFramboise, 47, Cornwall, Vt., was issued a
ticket for hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, a violation. The
ticket issued is returnable in the town of Croghan Court.
■ On Dec. 13, James F. Hancock, 34, Denmark, was charged with two
misdemeanor counts of illegally taking wild whitetail deer and taking
big game in excess of bag limit. The first buck, an eight-pointer, was
taken before the defendant had purchased his hunting license. A couple
of weeks later, Mr. Hancock shot an 11-point buck and used his brother’s
regular season tag in an attempt to pass the buck off as if it was taken
legally. He was charged with the violations of possessing tags of
another, hunting without a license and failure to comply with a lawful
order. Mr. Hancock was issued a total of six tickets. His brother,
Dustin R. Hancock, 28, Carthage, was also charged with the violation of
lending carcass tags to another person, in connection with the taking of
the second buck. Both sets of antlers and all of the meat were seized as
evidence. The brothers are to appear in town of Denmark Court.
