On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2021, a hunting trip in the woods of Phelps, New York, ended in tragedy with the death of 28-year-old Zachary Thomas Barse of Gorham. The young man, a graduate of Marcus Whitman Central School, was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. On that fateful morning, he was out hunting with an acquaintance, 61-year-old Kevin Hudson of Clifton Springs.
The incident unfolded after Barse had shot a deer and went to track it through a wooded area off
Cross Road. As Barse, who was wearing camouflage, moved through the brush, Hudson, who was positioned in a tree stand, saw movement. Mistaking his hunting partner for the wounded deer, Hudson fired his shotgun. A single round struck Barse in the upper body.
Realizing his grave error, Hudson immediately descended from his tree stand and discovered he had shot Barse. He called 911 and began administering CPR, continuing until first responders arrived. Despite the efforts of emergency crews, including sheriff's deputies, firefighters from Oaks Corners and Phelps, and ambulance personnel, Zachary Barse was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following an investigation by the Ontario County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Kevin Hudson was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide. In May 2023, Hudson pleaded guilty to the felony charge. He was sentenced to five years of probation and 300 hours of community service. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to pay for Barse's funeral expenses. The court did not impose any jail time.
