The superintendent of the Merrimack County Department of Corrections is facing criminal charges related to illegal baiting and night hunting, the result of an eight-month investigation by New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Travis Cushman, of Gilmanton, was arrested on March 25 and has since been placed on leave running the jail, which is located in Boscawen.
According to court paperwork, authorities say he illegally hunted deer outside of approved hours during a string of evenings in November 2023.
Cushman’s arrest is not related to another high-profile poaching investigation centered in Gilmanton, Operation Night Cat. That months-long investigation carried out by Fish and Game conservation officials resulted in the break up of what investigators called one of the largest poaching operations in state history.
According to court paperwork, Cushman is facing seven misdemeanor charges and 10 violation-level offenses. One count alleges he registered a whitetail deer on the morning of Nov. 15, while an image of the animal was timestamped the evening before.
Mounted bucks, a firearm and archery equipment were seized from Cushman’s home.
Cushman didn’t respond to a request for comment. He’s scheduled to appear in Laconia District Court on May 15. He’s facing fines and the suspension of his hunting license, but the charges don’t carry any potential jail time.
Cushman is listed on legal filings as the vice president of Friends of Merrimack County K9s, a registered nonprofit organization that provides “support for correctional and law enforcement working animals.” The group is headquartered out of his home, according to registration paperwork, and lists Erica Cushman as its president.
The New Hampshire Antler and Skull Trophy Club, which maintains records for trophy animals harvested in the state, announced in a Facebook post Sunday that it was removing two entries submitted by Cushman.
“When you enter a buck into NHASTC you sign that the animal was taken legally and ethically,” the group said on Facebook. “We find these actions disturbing and will not tolerate them.”
