Three men suspected of poaching during the annual salmon run were arrested early Wednesday morning after leading police on a wild chase in the woods in Niagara County.
The incident occurred just after 2 a.m. when DEC Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) were conducting a night patrol along the Lake Ontario shoreline and its tributaries.
ECOs Roger Ward and Nathan Ver Hague were checking the Burt Dam area of 18-mile Creek in Newfane when they noticed several large garbage bags piled on a pathway. The officers inspected the bags and found them loaded with freshly caught salmon.
At the same time, a pickup truck slowly drove by the area. Two men approached on foot and ECO Ward revealed himself and ordered the men to stop. The men took off running through the woods. ECO Ward apprehended one suspect hiding in the brush, but as ECO Ver Hague chased the other down to the creek, the man dove in and swam off. The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department was called for assistance.
Deputy Matt Grainge responded and located a pickup truck a short distance away matching the description given by the ECOs. The driver was sitting inside awaiting a call from the other two men.
Deputies Keith Hetrick, John Vosberg and a K-9 officer tracked the suspect who swam across the creek and eventually located him attempting to climb up a gorge. He was taken into custody.
A total of 69 salmon ranging in size from 5 to 35 pounds had been poached from the creek, the subjects using a weighted treble hook and net to snag the fish.
The three men – Sergey Yatchuk, 41, of 55 Applewood Ln., Getzville, Petro Parfenyk, 29, of 2204 Prospect Ave., Erie, Penn., and Mikhail F. Sakalosh, 39, of 8322 Taylor Colquitt Rd., Spartanburg, S.C. – were charged with 32 violations, including fishing without a license, possessing foul-hooked fish, taking fish by snatching, taking fish in excess of daily limit, and illegal fishing at night.
The three suspects were remanded to the county jail in lieu of bail, $1,100 for Parfenyk and Sakalosh and $1,000 for Yatchuk.
What these people did was illegal, but being fined for “snagging” is the biggest crock of shit I’ve have ever heard. In 1990, when I was 16 years old my dad took me and my brothers up to Salmon river to go fishing for spawning Salmon. Fishing for spawning salmon, which are at the end of their life cycle is a big event every year up state. It’s a big event for the DEC to fine people for accidentally snagging salmon and keeping them. Well, I was one of those kids who got a $50 fine for illegally snagging half dead salmon who dont feed on anything anymore. This is all a scam by the DEC and it needs to be stopped. Why dont the DEC just put a “fine box” at the edge of the river whenever you step foot into the river to go fishing and write a check to the DEC for accidentally snagging half dead salmon.
The rules are simple. Dont be stupid.
Cant fix stupid
Illegal is illegal. The fine is rediculous. Should be at least that pet fish. !!
This wasn’t a simple mistake or officers being overzealous. They had 69 fish and new it was illegal.
Just Learn how to fish for them.
Maybe snagging isn’t so bad but 69 fish?! That’s a bit much.
If you net and keep an illegal hooked fish its illegal if you let it go they don’t ticket you. Snag hooks are dangerous and should be illegal
Sixty-nine illegal fish…….that’s sixty nine game violations. Feels pretty serious to me. Robbing our resource.
My son and I watched fish after fish being flossed at Manchester hole in Erie fishing after sunset. Now it’s hard to explain to my 13yr old son why we were not catching anything. I pray that he does not get discouraged but honestly it makes me sick that these people will even say, fish on. Maybe my son will teach you ?heads how to fish!!!
I’ve never seen it done but I have pulled snagging hooks and devices out of the waterfall and just walking up and down stream when the water levels drop
That is real hilarious. Go find water polluters or do something else useful.
I agree with you to a point. However these guys weren’t accidentally snagging the salmon. That’s where the problem is.
So tell me, other than hook size, what’s difference between ‘Lifting’ and snagging?
True it takes a bit more ‘practice’, but it is legal.
I’ve been fly fishing the salmon river and oak orchard for about 10 years now. Never had a problem getting them to eat a fly. If you think snagging them or flossing them (which I cannot stand) is the only way to do it, you’re very, very wrong.
Russian illegals nuff said.
The fact that these men are Russian obviously has nothing to do with them being crooks. Ask those officers, they’ll tell you that they have caught poachers of all nationalities, races and ethnicities. Thinking in stereotypes about large groups of people is just not the American way. Like a stopped clock that is correct twice every day, we are almost always wrong to do that. Frankly, it is more a reflection on a weak understanding and commitment to genuine American values than anything else. We’ve got a unique and wonderful country here, let’s try to remember it’s core values and support them, please.
actualy mexicans dont fish for salmon in NY, at least none that I have ever seen
Not russians. They are ukrainian. I know them.
Same sort of folks here I’m Germany! No surprise!
I mean “in Germany”, sorry!
Snagging is one thing .,,,, but 70 fish is just gross ,,, I hope they Do Time … not just a slap on the wrist fine. ?
Im gonna back up Tony . Dont be stupid. Snagging should always be illegal. These guys are crooks and if it was another species im sure they would have done the same to those fish. I wish it was 100 dollars a fish . I mean wtf get your fly rods out and enjoy .
This is just a drop in the creek for what is been going on. Yes I agree some times the DEC officers write tickets for Very questionable violations and some of them do not know what the law really is but the big issue is the State of NY has reduced the number of DEC officers so they can not be all over the state catching the many BIG violators .Stopping the snagging is a good thing not only for the fishing but also for the fishermen who had be taken to the Hosp. many time because of the weighted treble hooks that were used. It really was not sportsmen like to do this..
Well done, wardens!
The good thing is they got caught,but on the flip side,they probably won`t even cover the court costs.
The snagging is issue is the law weather they are just entering the river or seconds from death. The law is just that, that law. Taking 69 salmon is just ridiculous they should have spent the night in jail, lost their car/truck and all means of taking the fish. If these fish were pre spawn then a million salmon may have been lost.
BTW Congradulations to the Game Wardens for the pinch.
I’ve been one of the lucky ones to get fined up there in good ole Pulaski but I mean come on they can say anyone or everyone is snagging they are cashing in while people are trying to experience something great….it is corrupt and a scam but they def made a great bust that is ridiculous…..let’s get that wall up
Imagine these idiot googans running through the woods at night being chased by the cops. What pieces of crap! Full grown men. The laws are in place, they are not for you to interpret them and pick and choose which ones you might like or not. If you don’t like the local laws then go to where they better fit your needs. If enough people don’t like a law they can always repeal it, this is what they should do after they are sentenced.
I have been there for many yrs and a snagged fish or foul hooked is not cool I have a 30lb Coho on my wall thanks to yrs of going caught many fish the right way so ya they should lose the privilege to fish for a 1yr and a heavy fine do it right or don’t do it that’s all I live in Ma. and it’s a great pleasure to go to Pulaski and fish for all the fish so actually do go back to the lake to live longer steelhead trout Brown trout I have had the opportunity and had success catching all fish of a lifetime there preserve the trust flow the rules I never broke any.. Pay your dues
As stated more than once earlier..The law is the law!
“just because…(anything)” is not an excuse or reason for breaking the law.
“The fish were at the end of their life cycle”….so what! Do you, me or any of us here KNOW if they had already spawned yet? If not, think of the millions of salmon fry they effectively wiped out? The laws are in place for a reason, and saying they are a money-making scheme for the DEC sounds like the old adage Shakespeare adage “Me thinks thou protest too much.” (Basically people that have been nabbed before are prone to complain when others get busted for the same offense.) All in all, the fines themselves are nothing compared to the damage these criminals had dome. I hope they have a stipulation that allows for the confiscation of gear AND vehicles used in the act of poaching….THAT will have a bigger impact!
This is exactly what DEC police should be doing. Congratulations on “snagging” these poachers.
I have no sympathy for the poachers nor should any other citizen. Darrin, when you fish or hunt you should know the rules. If you don’t, or choose not to follow them, then stay home. Fools like this deserve to feel the full weight of the law when they get caught. They are thieves stealing from all of us.
My estimate is one out of fifty fish landed in the salmon tribes of Ontario are “legally” hooked. Anyone who has fished there and is honest with themselves would agree.
I’ m with the law and order guys, I don’t agree with the constantly changing overly burdensome regulations, however, the law is the law and what they did was illegal. I for one no longer make the trip (16 hour round trip drive). It’s not worth the expense of fuel, tolls, lodging, meals and drinks at the bar only to be detained for “fish harassment” because I took to many casts at the same fish! Cost me $100!! WTF!!!! Fish harassment….. really???? DEC Cop, you won, but, the economy of economically depressed Upstate NY lost because I and the seven other guys that use to make the effort no long go there.
DEC needs to lighten up a lot before we’ll go back there again. There are way to many other places to enjoy fishing without the heavy handed fish cops killing the buzz!
From their names they appear be Slavic/Russians. Salmon roe caviar is a favorite food over there. It goes for big bucks at the Russian market store. I’d bet my last buck that’s what they were up to, harvesting eggs because we all know spawning salmon meat tastes like putrid mud!
Darrin, You are full of crap. If you can’t catch the the right way, go home. Is it really that important to kill spawning fish. You and these guys are the reason that fish stocks of all kinds continue to dwindle. Snagging or catching almost 70 fish, are you kidding.
Glad they got caught. I care less that they weren’t sporting than and more that they were taking so much of valued public resource.
Looks like some of them didn’t have enough for bail so I’m open to believing these were down and out folks who might actually be trying to stuff a freezer and maybe make a few bucks the way they know how. Better than cooking meth…..They deserve punishment, but a reasonable one.
Also, not that it’s different from how local papers handle crime reports, but I see no strong reason to include these guys’ addresses in the article. It may be legal to do so but why do it? Seems only helpful in giving people an idea to harass these jerks. They acted like criminals but there’s no indication they’re a physical threat to their community, i.e. armed and dangerous or sex offenders. Crocodile tears, yes, but pointing them out in a map isn’t good for anyone, including any kids or neighbors that might be affected.
End of the lifecycle is a poor excuse. You can t go to the grocery store and shoplift items that are close to the expiration dates. There are laws in place for a reason and we are not allowed to pick and choose which ones are convenient. What these criminals did is wrong on so many levels starting by not having the decency to purchase a fishing license and finishing with keeping so many salmon over the legal limit. If these fish were wild salmon and capable on naturally reproducing, then they should be sentenced to jail.
ALost as bad as here in Michigan, the fines are assinine… they should be triple that or more.
People do not understand. Just because a fish dies after spawning doesn’t mean you can keep him even if you snagged.. Fishing is a sport and and all fish should be hook inside the mouth.. That’s insane 69 snagged Salmon, This guy must not be getting any help for food assistance lmao.. I be he polch every day for deers wow
The amount of fish is ridiculous but I live in NY and hit the salmon run every year for most my life. I agree with the people who say this snagging law is ridiculous, it is just another way for NY to scam it’s residents out of more money. By the time those fish hit the river they are not feeding anymore. The legal way to catch them is still technically snagging, your just snagging them in the lip to be legal. It’s a ridiculous law. But the amount of fish these guys had is disgusting and they do deserve to be fined and punished for it.
How about only fishing for them when they are feeding? We would never snag a striped ball or a brook trout. Why would it make sense to snag these salmon?
I hate snaggers but this story sort of hit me sort of funny. With all the stuff going on in the world right now, the internet hacks from the Russians and these fellas first and last names…the first thing I thought of was that it was not just a terrible case of snagging salmon…but it must be part of THE RUSSIAN CONSPIRACY!!! 🙂
These guys seem to have known what they were doing. I wonder how many years they have been doing this and how many hundreds or thousands of phish these jabronis have taken illegally. It could add up to serious impact to the fishery.
The only problem in the world are the people…..
Bush’s Fault
It’s BS. I’ve seen that culture at work numerous times. They are selling the eggs for “caviar.” It’s a pre-meditated outright blatant violation and brings nothing to the the ‘depressed” economy up there. Throw the book at them!
I don’t know what it is with these people. The creek behind my house has pretty much fished out by them. If they catch it they kill it. Doesn’t matter how small it is. Nothing left for the kids to catch. Price we pay for cultural diversity?
people
F…. these commie offspring they are devoid of any sense of ethics principal or decency they come here and exploit all american resources , running scams saturating their livers with Vodka depleting our estuaries , exhausting our economy and blatantly taking a dump on our very american fibre, they remibd me of Politicians!
PS. They get what they deserve.
Law enforcement is just that, law enforcement. Officers do not make the laws up. If you do not like the law, change it and they will not be looking for you when you snag fish. They put the lives on the line every day so we can be safe. And in the case of conservation officers, what would be left to fish or hunt if they did not do their job. Instead of complaining, walk in their shoes for just a day; you’ll gain a lot of respect for what they do. Thanks to all of you in law enforcement for doing your job.
Wonder if the voted for Trump?
Thank you wardens
Great job
If they were in Canada they would lose their equipment and vehicle and the right to fish or hunt there
We need stronger penalties so people don’t think about doing it
Again great job wardens thank you
Hi guys! just wondering i am fishing for salmon with my friends almost 6 years and on my last this week trip i was fined with a ticket from the officer because i caught a fish close to the tail and put it on my rope the only thing i did it because it was half dead and all wounded from the rocks,so my question is does anybody knows how much such fine can be cause its 6 hours ride from the place i live. thank’s in advance for any help or info!!!!!!