Several local hunters were ticketed recently for deer poaching during a blanket enforcement detail run by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in conjunction with the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

Fourteen men were ticketed in Albany County. The operation took place in late October and the first three weeks of November.

The poached animals do not go to waste, said Rick Georgeson, DEC spokesman. “The venison is donated to a program for the homeless,” he said. “Butchers volunteer their time and it goes to local food banks.”

Asked if the recession may have caused hunters to poach in order to get food, Georgeson said he didn’t want to speculate about that. “It’s not an unusual number,” he said of the 14 arrests in Albany County. “In the last two years, we had even larger enforcement initiatives. This year, we scaled back a little bit.”

Environmental conservation officers set up saturation patrols to target illegal deer shooting with the use of an artificial light, a practice commonly known as deer jacking. Typically, deer jacking occurs in remote rural areas, throughout the night.

“We think, over the last two years,” Georgeson said, “we’ve really gotten the word out to the public that we’re checking people.” Conservation officers patrol, stake out, and observe lands where people hunt deer. They work in uniform and undercover; they are in vehicles and on foot; they are checking licenses and watching over deer decoys, according to the DEC.

The job is a difficult one for the conservation officers on patrol, Georgeson said, noting they have to work through the night, often dealing with armed hunters. “Often alcohol is involved as well,” he said. “They’re out there in the dark at night.”

The conservation officers themselves are armed. “They’re full police officers, specializing in Conservation Law,” said Georgeson.

The DEC notes that most hunters pursue and take game legally; the agency works closely with honest hunters. “The sporting community likes this,” said Georgeson of the enforcement initiative. “They are playing by the rules. They want to make sure everyone is on the same level playing field.”

Rifles aren’t allowed for deer hunting in Albany County.

Maximum penalties for those arrested in Albany County range from $250 and 15 days in jail to  $4,250 and two years in jail. Asked how frequently the maximum penalties are carried out, Georgeson said, “It varies, depending on the town court.”

These people were ticketed in Albany County for violating New York’s Environmental Conservation Laws:

— Mark Meringolo, 42, of Athens was charged on Oct. 29 with shooting deer over bait, a violation. He was issued a summons to appear in Rensselaerville Town Court. Meringolo faces a maximum of $250 in fines and up to 15 days in jail;

— John Facci, 40, of Schenectady was charged on Nov. 5 with shooting deer over bait, a violation. He was issued a summons to appear in Colonie Town Court and faces a maximum of $250 in fines and up to 15 days in jail;

— Drew McCardle, 50, of Delanson was charged on Nov. 9 with taking a doe deer without a permit, taking a deer with a firearm during bow season (both misdemeanors), and hunting without a license, a violation. He was issued summonses to appear in Knox Town Court. McCardle faces a maximum of $4,250 in fines and up to two years in jail;

— Joshua Beck, 18, of Slingerlands was charged on Nov. 15 with using a spotlight within 500 feet of a dwelling, a violation. He was issued a summons to appear in Guilderland Town Court. Beck faces a maximum of $250 in fines and up to 15 days in jail;

— John Mister, 53, of Greenville was charged on Nov. 18 with illegal possession of wildlife and failure to tag deer, both violations. He was issued a summons to appear in Westerlo Town Court. Mister faces a maximum of $500 in fines and up to 30 days in jail;

— Stephen West, 28, of Mayfield (Fulton County) was charged on Nov. 19 with possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. He was issued a summons to appear in Berne Town Court. West faces a maximum of $1,000 in fines and up to 90 days in jail;

— Mark Ginter, 37, of Gloversville was charged on Nov. 19 with possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. He was issued a summons to appear in Berne Town Court. Ginter faces a maximum of $1,000 in fines and up to 90 days in jail;

— Charles Welsh, 40, of Rensselaerville was charged on Nov. 19 with possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. He was issued a summons to appear in Berne Town Court. Welsh faces a maximum of $1,000 in fines and up to 90 days in jail;

— Kenneth Davey, 49, of Richmondville was charged on Nov. 20 with possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. He was issued a summons to appear in Rensselaerville Town Court. Davey faces a maximum of $1,000 in fines and up to 90 days in jail;

— Mark McNally, 50, of Queens was charged on Nov. 20 with hunting with a rifle in a prohibited county, a misdemeanor. He was issued a summons to appear in Rensselaerville Town Court. McNally faces a maximum of $1,000 in fines and up to 90 days in jail;

— Ando Carmello, 52, of Stanfordville (Dutchess County) was charged on Nov. 20 with hunting with a rifle in a prohibited county, a misdemeanor. He was issued a summons to appear in Rensselaerville Town Court. Carmello faces a maximum of $1,000 in fines and up to 90 days in jail;

— Frank Scavetta, 52, of Queens was charged on Nov. 20 with hunting with a rifle in a prohibited county, a misdemeanor. He was issued a summons to appear in Rensselaerville Town Court. Scavetta faces a maximum of $1,000 in fines and up to 90 days in jail;

— Fred Oliver, 69, of Delmar was charged on Nov. 26 with shooting deer over bait, a violation. He was issued a summons to appear in Bethlehem Town Court. Oliver faces a maximum of $250 in fines and up to 15 days in jail; and

— Mario Pennacchia, 52, of Schenectady was charged on Nov. 27 with taking a doe deer without a permit (a misdemeanor), discharging a bow within 500 feet of a residence, and shooting deer over bait, both violations. He was issued summonses to appear in Knox Town Court. McCardle faces up to $2,500 in fines and up to one year in jail.