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Park-district hunt worries neighbors
(by Joan Demirjian - December 02, 2009)
Park-district hunt worries neighbors
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
A hunting session in Geauga Park District's Frohring Meadows in Bainbridge is taking place this week.
The firearms hunt has raised concerns among some residents adjacent to the park who questioned the safety of doing it close to homes.
The park off Savage Road is closed to the public today (Dec. 3) through Dec. 6, during the hunt by park district staff and law-enforcement personnel only. A park ranger will be on duty during that time. Notices were sent to surrounding property owners, alerting them to the hunting session and park's closing.
The park district is allowing the controlled hunting for whitetail deer.
"All our hunters and personnel are thoroughly briefed to ensure safety protocols and best practices are followed," John Oros, director of operations, said in the notice to residents.
"Signs will be posted prior to the hunt, and Frohring Meadows will be closed to the public on the dates of the hunt. There will also be ranger presence during the hunts," he said.
Cindy Ford, spokeswoman for the park district, said the hunt is part of the wildlife-management program.
It is a short shotgun-season hunting period, and adjoining property owners have been notified, she said. "This is a very controlled hunt in the more forested areas of the park." The hunters can take does or bucks during the event, she said.
Ms. Ford noted that the Ohio Department of Wildlife has declared the area of Geauga County east of Ravenna Road (Route 44) as having more deer per square acre than the land can accommodate. That deer population overflows into the areas west of Ravenna Road as well, she said.
As a direct result, populations of other species, including ground-nesting birds, have declined in the forests and grasslands, she said. "The carrying capacity or number of deer per acre has exceeded its limit."
Most people can see that impact in the number of car-vehicle collisions in the county, Ms. Ford said. "They know it is an issue. We wouldn't be hunting if the carrying capacity was not an issue."
Infrared photography has been used to track the deer populations, Ms. Ford said. The Geauga Park District biologist also has been recording the damage, she said.
"We don't go in on a whim," she said. "We take it very seriously. It's a management issue that cannot be ignored. Some people don't want anything done, but you can see the effects of overpopulation with the number of deer, hit by vehicles, on the sides of the roads."
Some residents have expressed concerns about the hunting in the park that is surrounded by heavily traveled roads and by homes.
Robert McEaneney, of Heatherwood Lane, said he is simply a concerned citizen. Discharging firearms in and around residential neighborhoods is dangerous and a threat to public safety, he said.
The park is surrounded by East Washington Street, Chagrin Road, Savage Road and Heatherwood Lane.
One errant shot can kill or injure an innocent bystander, Mr. McEaneney said. In addition, he said, he has seen few deer this year in the area.
"I think discharging firearms so close to residential areas is unsafe," Mr. McEaneney said. It is not in the best interest of the public, he said. "Mistakes happen."
Chagrin Road resident Myra Janda said she also has not see that many deer in the area this year as in the past.
As a walker, she said, she will have to find a another place to walk while the park is closed.
Ileen Linden, on Savage Road, said she is not in favor of the hunt. She added that she is concerned that the park is not well policed by the district. There have been juveniles in the park playing loud music and shooting off fireworks, she said.
"But the park is better than condos," she said, noting she had been concerned that such housing might have been built in that area.
Lil Fecek, another nearby resident, said her concern is for safety and the possibility of bullets straying to residential properties on the edge of the park.
The hunt is part of the park district's wildlife-management plan and includes bowhunting through Feb. 7 at Observatory Park in Montville and the Ellerin property in Bainbridge. Neither property is open to park visitors.
For information on the park district's wildlife management plan, call Mr. Oros at (440) 286-9516.
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