The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State.

In 2025, DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement fielded an estimated 101,169 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 35,575 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 15,673 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

“DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators enforce New York’s Environmental Conservation Law to ensure the protection of public safety and our vast natural resources, including air, water, wildlife, and New York’s one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “This highly specialized and rewarding work is instrumental to upholding our stringent laws and making the great outdoors safe and enjoyable for everyone.”

Illegal Deer Take – Columbia County

A hunter recently paid a penalty to resolve charges related to the illegal take of deer in Columbia County.

On November 16, 2025, ECOs Doroski and Keegan checked a trailer containing four antlered deer in the Town of Ghent. The ECOs, along with Lieutenant Billotto, determined one individual killed all four deer and unlawfully tagged them with tags belonging to other people. The Officers charged the subject with four misdemeanors for illegally taking big game in addition to lesser tickets for the tagging violations. They also confiscated the animals as evidence.

The defendant settled the misdemeanor charges in Ghent Town Court and paid a civil penalty of $1,200.

Vehicle Recovery in Snow – Saratoga County

On January 29, ECO Smith was on snowmobile patrol when a citizen flagged him down to report a vehicle stuck in deep snow on a nearby seasonal road in the Town of Providence. The ECO walked to the location and met with the driver, who stated he was attempting to take a shortcut home when his vehicle became trapped in the snow. ECO Smith recognized it was unsafe to leave the car at the location overnight due to heavy snowmobile traffic on the road, and snow conditions made it nearly impossible for a traditional towing vehicle to access the area. Smith returned to his patrol vehicle, retrieved some recovery equipment, and relied on a combination of hand winching, reduced tire pressure, and alternate traction control settings to free the vehicle from the remote roadway. The vehicle drove out under its own power and returned to the plowed roadway. Seasonal Limited Use Highways are not maintained or plowed from December 1 to April 1 and can be difficult for travel during winter conditions.

A vehicle stuck in the snow on a seasonal roadway in the Town of Providence, Saratoga County (photo attached)

Bird Rescue – Greene County

On February 21, ECO Milliron responded to a unique call in the Hamlet of East Durham. Employees at an antique store stated that shoppers noticed something extremely lifelike on one of the shelves. A sleepy Eastern Screech Owl was perched next to a chicken cookie jar. ECO Milliron arrived at the location, gently cradled the sleeping owl to remove it from the store, and released it into a wooded area where it flew into a nearby tree. This species of owl is nocturnal and typically nests in tree cavities, not store shelves. No word on how it got inside.

An owl rests on a shelf at an antique shop in Greene County (photo attached)

ECO Milliron with the sleepy owl observed inside an antique shop in the Hamlet of East Durham, Greene County (photo attached)

To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch.