A group of hunters from the Hudson Valley used illegal bait to kill deer for allegedly the second time this hunting season.

In mid December, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officers checked a property in the town of Rockland where ECOs found illegal bait for deer earlier in the season.

The officers found two hunters with an untagged doe. One of the hunters stated that he had shot the deer a few hours earlier. The hunters insisted that they didn't hunt with bait adding they weren't the type to break rules, officials say.

After the ECOs asked to see the hunting stands and location of where the deer was killed, the officers noticed that the hunter’s three stands all allegedly had pre-established bait nearby.

Further down the trail, the ECOs say they discovered another tree stand with a third hunter in it and fresh bait nearby. According to the DEC, it was the same bait used earlier in the season at the same tree stands.

The third hunter was also allegedly missing a back tag. The deer was seized as evidence and a total of six tickets were issued to the three hunters for the illegal taking of deer, hunting with the aid of bait, failure to wear a back tag, and failure to tag deer as required.

The three hunters were immediately taken before a judge in the town of Rockland. Each pleaded guilty and paid more than $1,500 in fines.

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