The theft of nearly 150 goose decoys valued at more than $3,700 has caused one local man to offer an undisclosed reward for information that leads to the return of his property and the thief's conviction.

Glenn Cummings, one of the three victims who reported the decoys missing on Sept. 17, said he and two neighbors had gone out to their respective hunting spots off the northern shore of Cayuga Lake when they noticed that some of their plastic water fowl were missing.

“I went out to go hunt and I discovered that more than half of my decoys were gone,” Cummings said. “I have been hunting for 30 years and this is the second time it has happened. The first time, I was 17 years old and I never saw them again.”

Goose hunting season started Sept. 1 and continues until Sept. 25.

Detective Brian Schenck, of the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, said his office was treating the case as a felony due to the value of the property that was stolen.

Between the three victims, more than 150 decoys, which were valued at $25 a piece, were stolen, Schenck said.

Because of the location of the decoys, which were more than 500 feet offshore, Schenck said the thief had to use a boat to take them.

Cummings said he believed the decoys were stolen for personal gain or for money.

“They are worth about $25 apiece,” he said. “They are about $100 for a four pack, so I think they took them for the resale value of for their own personal use.”

Schenck urges anyone who has information on the decoys to call his office at 253-3545.