New York Felon Busted After Shooting At Turkey Trap

A New York driver aimed at what looked like a turkey, but it turned out to be something that changed the entire situation in seconds.

He thought he spotted an easy target in Upstate New York. What happened next led to multiple charges and a quick encounter with DEC officers.

Driver Charged in Decoy Detail By New York State DEC

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

The New York State DEC just confirmed in its latest "Environmental Conservation Police on Patrol" that a fake turkey was used to catch a criminal in Upstate New York.

ECOs Brown, Dorrett, Heckler, and Hilton used a robotic turkey decoy for an investigation to try to catch illegal road hunting in Upstate New York. Agents placed a fake turkey on a road in Williamstown, New York.

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Before long, authorities spotted a car driving slowly down the road, before turning around and coming to a stop near the location of the turkey decoy.

black and white wild turkey outdoor during daytime

"The driver discharged a shotgun from the vehicle, which was stopped in the middle of the roadway and then sped off when two ECOs emerged from the tree line and announced their presence," the New York State DEC told Hudson Valley Post in a press release. "Fortunately, two other ECOs positioned nearby in their vehicles intercepted the illegal hunter."

The unnamed hunter admitted he thought he was shooting at a real turkey, the DEC reports.

Making matters worse for this man is the fact that the DEC quickly learned he was driving his vehicle with a suspended license and is a convicted felon who is not legally allowed to possess a firearm.

He was charged with possessing a loaded gun in a motor vehicle, discharging from a highway, failure to comply with an ECO, illegal take of a turkey, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and criminal possession of a firearm.

The case is still pending.

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