Three people have been arrested following an investigation into alleged illegal hunting in the state's Upper Hunter region.
On Wednesday 20 April 2022, teams from the Hunter Valley Rural Crime Investigations and NSW Department of Primary Industries Game Licencing Unit conducted proactive patrols of the Murrurundi and Little Jacks Creek areas, following reports of illegal hunting and other rural crimes in the region.
About 6.45am (Wednesday 20 April 2022), a SUV utility carrying a dog crate was detected allegedly trespassing and illegally hunting on a private property at Merriwa Road, Little Jacks Creek.
Police stopped the utility and spoke to three male occupants, aged 15, 17 and 23.
Five hunting dogs were located within the dog cage, with four of those wearing hunting collars. Two of the dogs were not microchipped and were fitted with electronic shock collars.
Police searched the utility – which was unregistered – and seized knives, hunting collars, a GPS tracking unit, spotlights and various tools.
All three were arrested and taken to Muswellbrook Police Station.
The 23-year-old man from Belmore was charged with enter private land to hunt animal without owner consent, enter enclosed agricultural land accompanied by hunting dog, custody of knife in public place, have custody of non-prescribed electrical device (two counts), companion animal (other) not registered (two counts), and not identify companion animal as prescribed – other (two counts).
He was given conditional bail to appear at Muswellbrook Local Court on Tuesday 31 May 2022.
The 17-year-old youth from Hunterview was charged with enter private land to hunt animal without owner consent, enter enclosed agricultural land accompanied by hunting dog, never licensed person drive vehicle on road, cause or permit use of unregistered vehicle on road, and custody of knife in public place.
He was given conditional bail to appear before a Children's Court on Monday 30 May 2022.
The 15-year-old boy from Singleton was released and will be issued with a youth caution for the offences of hunt game animal on private land without consent of owner, and enter enclosed agricultural land accompanied by hunting dog.
As investigations continue, landowners are urged to report any incidents of trespassing, illegal hunting, theft and malicious damage to local police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Anyone with information about incidents such as these is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
