Carthage man jailed over deer hunting incident

COPENHAGEN — A Carthage man was jailed Wednesday on charges that he shot at captive deer last fall in the town of Harrisburg without permission and cut a fence, allowing several of the animals to escape.

Lewis County sheriff's deputies, in conjunction with state Department of Environmental Conservation police, charged Zachary M. Greenwood, 24, of 4727 Zecher Road, with second-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree attempted grand larceny, third-degree criminal trespass and reckless endangerment of property. He was arraigned before Lowville Town Justice Asa J. Holbrook and sent to Lewis County jail, Lowville, on $25,000 bail.

Mr. Greenwood was accused of shooting at a whitetail buck in a fenced-in area off Number Three Road and Mud Street, then cutting the fence and entering the area to find out if he had hit the animal. After being unable to find the deer, he left the scene, and six bucks escaped through the cut in the fence, deputies said.

Two were tranquilized and returned to their pen, while the other four were shot by other hunters and turned back over to their owner, Lauren D. Zehr, they said.

The investigation is continuing, and further charges are pending, deputies said.

Mr. Greenwood was sentenced last month in Jefferson County Court to jail time served, five years' probation and $6,704 in restitution on charges of third-degree burglary and second-degree attempted burglary. The charges stemmed from a pair of day-time burglaries in February in the towns of Champion and Rutland.