N.H. Corrections Officer Busted for Poaching Multiple Trophy Bucks

Corrections officer Travis Cushman was arrested last week on the heels of an 8-month investigation that alleges his involvement in the illegal shooting of multiple deer. According to county records, Cushman has been employed with the Merrimack County Department of Corrections since 2015 and has held a number of positions within the department, including his current role as the superintendent of the Merrimack County Jail. He has since been placed on leave following his arrest on March 25.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division broke the news on Friday regarding the investigation, stating that after serving a search warrant on the suspect’s property, they were able to recover and seize three deer mounts, a firearm and some archery equipment.

Court records showed that Cushman was accused of illegally hunting deer outside of legal hours on a number of occasions back in November of 2023. Reports also indicate that Cushman had falsely claimed registering a whitetail deer harvest for the morning of November 15 of the same year, but a timestamped image told a completely different story (and date).

Following the investigation, state officials hit Cushman with seven misdemeanors and ten violations including unlawful baiting, use of a live-action camera and a number of illegal night hunting charges as well. While the charges Cushman is up against don’t seem to carry any potential jail time, it is most certainly plausible that he will lose his hunting privileges for an extended period of time and that he will be subject to some hefty fines, if convicted.

He’s currently expected to appear in Laconia District Court on May 15th.

In addition to the charges he is facing, Cushman is also facing backlash from a local hunting club who is now pledging to remove two of his previous entries. According to a Facebook post made by the New Hampshire Antler and Skull Trophy Club, Cushman shot a 220-lb buck in Belknap County that scored 155 ⅞ inches, an entry that has since been removed by the club.

“When you enter a buck into NHASTC, you sign that the animal was taken legally and ethically. We find these actions disturbing and will not tolerate them,” the post read. “Once the legal actions are complete, this individual will be removed from the upcoming record book.”