K-9 Cramer Sniffing Out Poachers In New York State

HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- An amazing dog has passed the highest police protection standards.

Cramer, the newest environmental conservation officer in the state, can easily detect bootlegged trout, bass, perch, venison and wild turkey, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported. Cramer can catch poachers, too.

"Cramer has extraordinary senses -- smell, hearing, things that the bad guys didn't think were coming," said state Sen. Phil Boyle, R-Bay Shore.

The uniquely trained German shepard is named after an original protection officer, William Cramer. He recently was recognized posthumoulsy for his heroisim after he was shot dead in 1929 attempting to apprehend illegal bird hunters in Idlewild Woods near present -day JFK Airport.

"Poachers, they'll use rifels. They'll use whatever it takes to take this illegal game," said Capt. Dallas Bengel of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Illegal wildlife hunting maims animals. Some are cared for at preserves like Holtsville on Long Island.

Cramer knows how to find evidence. He can sniff out poachers' shell casings.

"As soon as he got the smell of that casing, he looked right at me and he stayed. He didn't move anymore," said Christopher Derose, an envirnomental conservation officer.

Cramer took seconds to find venison planted in a truck.

"He's got different collars," DeRose said. "He's got ifferenet leads for whatever detection we want him to do."

Cramer's specialty is fish. Tons of quality striped bass are stolen every season.

"They can be secreted anywhere," Bengel said. "We found fish in the ovens of fishing vessels. And with K-9 Cramer, it will make it much easier to detect and find these fish."

Penalties for illegally poaching fish and wildlife in New York state run up to $2,000 in fines per transgression and a year in jail.

In addition to environmental police duties, Cramer can be called on to help other agencies across the state in everyday crime fighting.