Press release
Illegal Waterfowl Shooting – Wyoming County
On March 31, ECO RJ Ward responded to a complaint in the town of Gainesville that someone had shot and killed a hooded merganser in a small farm pond across the road from the caller’s residence.
The caller spotted a vehicle pull onto a farm road adjacent to the pond; the passenger in the vehicle fired several rounds. Both occupants then exited the vehicle and fired an additional round at the merganser. The subjects left the area before the complainant obtained any information other than a description of the vehicle.
ECO Ward responded to the scene, collected the merganser, and located several .223 shotgun casings.
While the officer was interviewing nearby residents, he observed a vehicle matching the description drive by and attempt to flee.
ECO Ward gave chase, stopped the vehicle, and interviewed the occupants.
The subjects admitted to firing several rounds at Canada Geese from the passenger seat, and when the geese flew away, only the merganser remained and they used the shotgun to dispatch it. The officer collected a shotgun between the front seats, a rifle in the back seat, and another loaded rifle in the back of the truck.
The subjects were charged with possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, taking wildlife with the aid of a motor vehicle, hunting with an autoloader capable of holding more than six rounds, hunting waterfowl during the closed season, hunting waterfowl without a duck stamp, failure to hunt waterfowl with non-toxic projectiles, and wanton waste.
what is a .223 shotgun?