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Russell wants notice on West Woods bowhunting
(by Joan Demirjian - December 30, 2009)
Russell wants notice on West Woods bowhunting
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Russell Township Trustees are asking the Geauga Park District to alert them when hunting takes place in the district's West Woods park. The request came after a resident expressed concern about recent hunting in the park, which backs up to her house in the township.
"We've asked as trustees that we want to know when it happens," Trustee James Mueller said.
Russell resident Faith Pescatore, whose house backs up to West Woods, said she looked out to see a large buck pass by with an arrow in his leg a couple weeks ago. After calling the Geauga Park District, she learned that bowhunting was taking place in West Woods.
Mrs. Pescatore said, when West Woods originally was established, residents were told there never would be hunting there.
No signs were posted in the park to indicate hunting was going on, she said. "It's a shock, because people are walking back there. I have lots of friends with dogs on the trails," Mrs. Pescatore said.
"I can understand the need for culling deer," she said, but she would rather have seen sharpshooters in the park.
Using bows and arrows leave many animals wounded, she said, quoting a figure of 20 percent for those actually killed. "Most are wounded, and they suffer," she said.
"I think the public should be informed of all hunting," Mrs. Pescatore said. She wonders how hunters know the exact boundaries within the park as well, she added.
She would like public access to park district studies that say culling needs to be done, she said. "They have to be accountable to the public since it's taxpayers' money that pays for the parks."
Mr. Mueller said the township should be aware if any hunting is going on, along with the method, times and days. "This was not announced, and I have concerns when people are walking around the park at the same time people are hunting. I think people need to be notified," he said.
"We want to know about it," he said, and it is a reasonable request.
When the Geauga Park District had hunting at Frohring Meadows in Bainbridge, the park was closed. The same was not true of the West Woods, Mr. Mueller said.
Cindy Ford, a park district spokeswoman, said hunting was stopped in West Woods. It originally was to be conducted through Feb. 7.
There is no way of knowing how the deer was injured or where it came from, she said.
However, Ms. Ford said that bowhunting was stopped in the park before the originally established close in February.
The park district will concentrate efforts where there are bigger issues with the deer population, she said.
It was by park staff only, and they were using deer stands and pointing downward, she said. The hunters stayed in one part of the 900-acre park, Ms. Ford said.
The goal is to reduce the population of white-tail deer and controlling and managing the species, she said.
Bowhunting is being conducted through Feb. 7 at Observatory Park in Montville and at the park district's Elleron property off South Franklin Street in Bainbridge. Those areas are not open to the public.
A staff hunt at Frohring Meadows in Bainbridge was held Dec. 3 to 6 without mishap, Ms. Ford said.
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