New York Officers Find Bag 'Moving' With Something Inside

Two New York men are in trouble with the law after officers responded to a call about suspicious activity on a local bridge.

In what must have been a creepy way to start their day, officers became suspicious of the men after peering into the back of their vehicle and "observed a bag flopping around in the cargo area". What was inside the bag landed the men in hot water.

Two New York men were fined for taking striped bass out of season after officers noticed a "bag flopping around in the cargo area" of their vehicle (NYS DEC)

"What's in the Bag?!" - New York Environmental Conservation Officers

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) vigilantly protects our state's natural resources, including fish and game. Before the sun had even risen on Sunday, December 17, an Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) responded to a call about two men who may have been taking fish out of season from a bridge in Queens, NY. From the NYS DEC:

Officer Milliron arrived and located a vehicle suspected to belong to the pair. Through the rear window, he observed a bag flopping around in the cargo area... The ECOs escorted both men back to the vehicle and discovered the bag moving around in the cargo area contained six striped bass.

Multiple striped bass that were illegally taken out of season were found by Environmental Conservation Officers in Queens, NY (NYS DEC)

Striped Bass Season in New York State

In New York state, striped bass season in marine waters lasts from April 15 to December 15, meaning the men were two days outside the legal window. With the bass still alive and (literally) kicking, they were released back in the water and the men received fines just north of $1,000. The fine is an interesting point of fact, as it was very similar to what two upstate New York poachers recently received for a plan far more devious and deceitful.

Poaching Scheme Uncovered in Upstate New York

In Erie County, NY, two men recently pled guilty to poaching several large bucks. While the act itself is enough to elicit anger from true outdoor enthusiasts, the pair also used fake social media accounts to convince local wildlife photographers to share locations of the deer in suburban areas, and would go as far as to hide their arrows inside hollow walking sticks to avoid suspicion. For their crimes, their hunting licenses were revoked for five years and the pair paid fines totaling roughly $1,075.

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The NYD DEC and their Environmental Conservation Officers are always on the clock, and enforcing state game laws is just one of their many responsibilities. Check out an impressive helicopter rescue that included cooperation between the NYS DEC and New York State Police below, and keep scrolling to see how a dog was saved from a rocky crevice at Minnewaska state park.