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Park district to notify neighbors of deer hunts
(by Joan Demirjian - January 28, 2010)
Park district to notify neighbors of deer hunts
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Residential neighbors of Geauga Park District parks will be notified when deer hunts are taking place, and those parks will be closed.
Park district representatives have assured Russell Township officials that those policies will be put in place.
Russell Trustee James Mueller and Police Chief Timothy Carroll met with park district officials recently to discuss the issues. The meeting followed a report by resident Faith Pescatore concerning a bowhunting incident at the park district's West Woods off Kinsman Road (Route 87).
Her home backs up to the park district's West Woods. She said recently she saw a large buck go by her window with an arrow in its leg. It was the first she knew that hunting was taking place in the park, she said, and the West Woods park was open to the public during the hunt. She expressed her concerns to the park district and to Russell Township officials.
People walk in the park, and there were no signs advising them of deer hunting going on, Ms. Pescatore said.
While she could see the reason for culling deer, she also questioned the advisability of hunting with bow and arrows, which can leave an animal wounded and suffering, she said.
Park district Director Thomas Curtin, park commissioner John Leech and John Oros, operations director for the district, met with the Russell representatives.
Mr. Oros oversees natural resource management in the park district and is responsible for deer management. He said it was agreed upon that parks will be closed when hunting takes place with bows and firearms. The district will notify every township where hunting is taking place, the type of hunting and the time period.
In the case of West Woods, the park staff was hunting and was instructed to hunt 200 feet away from general-use areas, Mr. Oros said.
There is some misunderstanding of bowhunting, he said. The hunter is in an elevated position, and, when the animal comes within 20 to 30 yards, the arrow is shot at a downward angle.
"The arrow passes through the animal and goes into the dirt," Mr. Oros said. "It's a safe way of harvesting deer. You would be hard-pressed to find any reports of innocent bystanders being hurt by a bow or firearms," he said of hunting in the parks.
Future hunts will not be done without closing West Woods, Mr. Oros said. "We do close other parks for firearms, but not for bow, but most bowhunting takes place in parks that are not open to the public," he said.
The hunting is part of a deer-management issue, Mr. Oros said. They are taking advantage of the long bowhunting season, he said. "It's all about harvesting." In some situations, firearms are not used in smaller parks because of the safety aspects, he said.
"Our mission is focused largely on bio-diversity," Mr. Oros said. "What we're seeing across North America is the impact on plants from deer browsing, and the loss of nesting habitat."
There has been an increase in the deer population, which has grown significantly since 1970. They adapt to forest edges and suburban landscapes, Mr. Oros said.
With habitat disappearing to the west of Ravenna Road (Route 44) as that area sees more development, the deer move into the parks, looking for food and sleeping areas. "We're seeing the impact in the forests," Mr. Oros said.
Mr. Mueller said the meeting with the park district was held at West Woods, where township representatives expressed their concerns. "We want the park closed if hunting is taking place. They have agreed to do that," he said.
"They will notify the police chief if there is hunting," Mr. Mueller said. The chief will pass on the information to Township Trustees and notification also will be sent to neighbors.
Ms. Pescatore said notification of hunting is important to residents and park visitors. "Chief Carroll and Jim Mueller were adamant about public safety," she said.
"People definitely need to be informed," she said. "If the public is going to use the parks, it shouldn't be at the same time they are instituting a deer-management program."
Ms. Pescatore said she also expressed her interest in the results of the deer-management program and the park district has agreed to share the results.
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