In another effort to manage wildlife, the county operates a sharpshooting program, which uses licensed marksmen and noise-suppressed firearms at night in areas where managed hunting is not possible. The schedule for that program has not yet been finalized, but the county does not anticipate adding to last year's list of sites, which included Alpha Ridge Landfill, Blandair Park, Daniels Mill Overlook, Gray Rock Openspace, Rockburn Branch Park, Timbers of Troy and Worthington Park.
According to county's deer management plan (pdf, page 15), the sharpshooters shoot over baited sites that are selected for safety and attractiveness to deer. It costs $91 to $300 per deer removed under this method.
I am not a fan of lethal methods to "manage" wildlife. However, an additional concern about this program is the bit about sharpshooters being used "where managed hunting is not possible". How close to houses are these kinds of hunts taking place? If noised suppressed firearms are being used, there may be no way for the public to know.
14 comments:
Well, I want to know where I can buy the resulting venison.
DM- something tells me that you would not be so glib if they hunting next to your house, eh?
And yet, curiously, I feel the deer pose far more risk to Howard Countians driving down Rt. 99 at dusk than do the licensed marksmen.
K-
And yet, curiously, Kem does have a problem with licensed drivers choosing to take the left exit from 29 to I70W but not licensed marksmen shooting near houses in the dark.
Wow... that one hurt.
Please don't put words in my mouth. I never once said I "have a problem with licensed drivers choosing to take the left exit from 29 to I70W." Nor did I infer it. Unless you can do a better job sticking to your own chosen topic of discussion, there's no point in going further.
K-
Kem, two things:
1. You did question the safety of that exit in a previous post. If you support leaving that exit open, feel free to explicitly say so now.
2. This is my blog so whatever I want to talk about is relevant. If you don't like that, feel no obligation to read it.
It always become abundantly clear the self-centered ignorance of any person who argues "the risk" or "the danger" of deer to humans.
Humans run them down in cars or use urine, blinds, camo, and silencers to shoot them dead, and somehow, deer are considered the risk?
If these humans removed their overinflated heads from their asses, they'd see that they've no one to blame but themselves. If anyone should be subject to population control, these winners should top the list.
Well, okay, I would want there to be at least like an acre between the hunters and me. Fair enough. But seriously, what do they do with the deer once they kill them?
The carcass is donated to charity to be eaten by the less fortunate.
I believe Blandair Park is the only site they hunt in, which is near houses. They use bows and arrows on that site because of the houses.
Here is an article from the
Baltimore Sun from this past July.
kem, your right, but there is one less deer to worry about on route 99.
Does anyone know if there is a local tax credit allowed Howard Countians, when they use their headlight, hood and fender in this deer management program?
Jim, welcome back!
Freemarket, miss your blog, but there is so much to do, so little time. keep up the good work
1. I "questioned" the safety of that intersection only by suggesting my perception of the risk traveling SB US29 was greater than that of someone crossing over onto WB I70. Experience doing both supports my admittedly anecdotal experience. But if you want my explicit statement, here it is: I support leaving the exit open. I never once said (or inferred) otherwise.
2. You're right, it is your blog. However retorting with a reference to a 3-week-old, archived comment not especially germane to the immediate posting only confuses other readers. You flatter yourself if you think I feel an obligation to read your blog. There are many stops on my blogwalk. This one is good for laughs and eye-rolls.
K-
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