A 17-year-old Amsterdam RD 4 boy has been charged with shooting and killing a 1,300-pound bull moose in the Town of Broadalbin.

Kenneth Swinarski was arrested at about 5 yesterday afternoon at his home by members of the Fulton County sheriff's department and conservation officers from the State Department of Environmental Conservation.

He was charged with taking game out of season and was given an appearance ticket to appear in Town of Broadalbin Justice Court at 7:30 Friday night.

According to a release at the sheriff's department, it had been reported that a moose, weighing approximately 1,300 pounds, had been shot last Wednesday behind an area known as Phillips Grove in the Town of Broadalbin. An investigation by the sheriff's department and conservation department resulted in the arrest of Swinarski.

Reports indicate the moose carcass was subsequently cut up and disposed of in the Mohawk River.

The moose was first sighted some weeks ago in the Whitehall and Glens Falls area and had been moving in a southwesterly direction since. He had last been sighted alive along Midline Road, and Wood indicated that conservation officials had become suspicious that something had happened to the animal since no new sightings had been reported.

Wood said moose pass across the state every few years, and had this animal lived, it would have been allowed to keep on moving until, or if it had begun to cause damage to property or pose a threat to the safety of individuals.

A .270 caliber rifle reportedly was used to kill the moose.