It was on November 17, the opening day of big game season in the region, when officers of the state Department of Environmental Conservation and State Police conducted a check of property with several known baited tree stands.

Two hunters were found in the stands that morning and the officers escorted them back to their camp.

One of the hunters smelled strongly of alcohol and appeared to lack coordination. The hunter failed  a field sobriety test, registering a .15 percent blood alcohol content level on a preliminary breath test.

The officers determined that he had also shot a seven-point buck the previous weekend from the baited property with a crossbow.

The hunter was charged with hunting while intoxicated and his hunting license was seized for suspension. He…