I can't say anything good. But what about the non target animals that go into the corrals? How are they going to keep the other "desirable" creatures out? How are they going to SEE the deer at night? What makes them think the deer are going to chill in the corral while they wait to be killed? How is this at all reflective of humane animal treatment? Many animals, when trapped, panic and there is no evidence that corralled deer just take it easy.
Mean girls never grow up; they just teach another generation their tricks of the trade.
5:55, all excellent questions. Remember, Mr. Benner (the expert) and his company have no experience in this type of deer management. And they're going to use high powered rifles from elevated positions to shoot frightened deer.
If there will be fabric around the corrals to keep the deer from panicking if they spot people, how will the deer killers be able to see what they are killing?
I have received emails letting me know that Kristen was on KDKA tonight with the big news. Don't overdo it, Kristen. You need to take care of yourself. Maybe you should resign now that your work is done. Elaine
Wow! People writing to the Trib are pretty cranky about this. Here is one of the comments:
This is the Person who Started and Pushing for this Kill.................... Commissioner Kristen Linfante Ph: 216-346-8057 Term Expires: December 31, 2015 http://www.mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?nid=28
Please note that the police "marksman" taking part in the town's bait and shoot program to control deer -- fired the round aiming down at the deer from a raised platform and was several hundred yards away in the woods, when the bullet struck something and ricocheted and blew a baseball size hole in the home of a couple with a little boy, who were all home at the time. Sound safe?
OFFICER'S ERRANT SHOT AT DEER UPSETS RESIDENTS
The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY) Byline: Thomas J. Dolan - NEWS NORTHTOWNS BUREAU
Three days after an errant shot fired from a nearby woods struck their home, a young Amherst couple are still shaken by the thought of what could have happened.
Amherst police say that one of their officers -- a marksman who is taking part in the town's bait and shoot program to control deer -- fired the round and that the shot ricocheted before hitting the house.
But that's not good enough for residents of San Fernando Lane, where the bullet landed in the second-floor guest room of a young family's home.
"In my opinion they should not have been anywhere this close to a house," said a woman who lives in the house struck by the bullet. She agreed to an interview Monday on the condition that her name and address not be published.
"When it happens, your instinctive reaction is to be outraged. We felt that at the time and still do," she said.
At about 10:30 a.m. Friday, her husband was working in a first-floor room of the house and the couple's son was staying home from grade school because of illness, she said.
The bullet blew a baseball size hole in their upstairs guest room window and lodged in a picture on the wall.
Amherst police came to the house, and they were "extremely cooperative and extremely sensitive and sympathetic" about the incident, she said, but she added that nobody should be shooting a weapon that close to a house.
Police told her the officer involved was several hundred yards away in the woods, aiming down at a deer from a platform when the round struck something and was diverted toward the houses on San Fernando Lane.
Over the weekend, her husband took a walk into the woods and said it was "not that far." "If there's a chance of a fluke, they shouldn't be there," the woman said.
According to the town's online map system, the woods are located between Casey and North French roads, covering an area about 1,000 yards long and about 600 yards wide at the midpoint. The map also shows there are houses on three sides of the woods, the nearest of which are located about 300 yards or less from the center of the woods.
According to the woman, her neighbors are aware of the incident and they are "very interested in what's happening." As for her son, she said, it has been "difficult to explain" to him what happened.
Assistant Police Chief Ronald H. Hagleberger told Town Board members Monday that the bait and shoot program will remain suspended until the department concludes its noncriminal investigation of the incident in about three weeks.
Police were withholding the names of the officer who fired the round and the owners of the home that was struck.
"I don't want to have this unfortunate incident stop the program," Amherst Council Member William L. Kindel said, calling the incident "one in a million."
But Council Member Daniel J. Ward disagreed, saying the bait and shoot program is "an accident waiting to happen," because Amherst is not a rural community.
Program officials said they would continue nonlethal attempts to control deer herds during the suspension period.
I just saw coverage of this on the news. "Lured into local parks and shot with silent rifles for $500/deer." I am horrified. Mt. Lebanon has completely lost it's soul. All of you residents and commissioners who support this - Shame on you. You reap what you sow. God help us all.
I lied. There is something else that can be done. Angry residents can attend the February 10, 2015 Commission meeting. The commissioners ignored the three of us who continuously spoke against the deer killing. Elaine
Mt. LEBANON must have MONEY to Burn! PA Archery Hunters Would of done it for FREE! As for Kristen Linfante what does a " Music Teacher" know about Deer Management? She should get lost and play her Fiddle where no one cane Hear It!
Many states that have observed Chronic Wasting Disease have banned baiting and feeding deer because of the hypothesis that these feeding practices spread the disease.
Some deer may feed on the bait in Mt Lebanon but leave the area and not be culled. *If* CWD is a possibility in this region, the PGC is setting a bad precedent with their approval of this culling program.
PA Game Commission states that "supplemental feeding leads to increased disease risk...and With CWD approaching our borders, the increased potential for disease transmission and outbreak is perhaps our greatest and most immediate concern".
It's disheartening to see our state government continue to promote double standards. Isn't Merlin Benner a former state employee? So he gets to feed the deer, kill them and reap $75k but anyone else in state should refrain from the same practice bc we could endanger the entire population of deer. Further, the hunters pay to kill deer but we are paying Benner while the hunters stay home.
These state employees/agencies demonstrate the same poor ethical standards highlighted by Mt Lebanon's municipal government (I no longer say our because I don't want to be associated). One can only hope the state leaders are modestly more evolved. It's increasingly doubtful at this point.
I hate to burst Linfante's "humanitarian" feel good justification for slaughtering the deer and feeding the poor with Mt. Lebanon's donated venison, but here are some safety facts about eating wild venison, that should alarm any municipality getting into the deer killing and donating venison business.
The dangers and health risks of eating wild venison:
* Wild deer (venison) doesn't originate from an approved USDA inspected food source.
* The meat doesn't go through a USDA inspection to make sure it's safe to eat.
* The field-dressing (gutting) process subjects the meat to environmental contamination and temperature abuse, i.e. E-Coli and other bacterial contamination.
* Recent CDC studies show that eating (rifle shot) venison significantly raises lead exposure to dangerous levels, especially for children and pregnant women .
* Wild deer (venison) typically has high levels of herbicides and pesticides from browsing on treated grass, i.e. True Green applications. Eating the golf course deer will probably kill you.
In Rochester NY the USDA made an exception and inspected deer meat from a bait and shoot culling. They wrote, "All of the venison which was salvaged from the bait and shoot operation in Rochester was found to be unfit for human consumption ... The intention had been to donate this meat to the NYS prison system to be fed to prisoners. We have seized it and will oversee its destruction."
At risk are low-income beneficiaries of venison donation. While the rich can choose between their USDA inspected meats, the poor are being fed uninspected meats with the high probabiliy of disease and bacterial contamination, and dangerous levels of lead and pesticides poisoning.
This issue has become even more serious with the lead poisoning guidelines being recently revised.
Lead poisoning guidelines revised; more considered at risk http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-05-16/cdc-blood-lead-level-standard/55005258/1
Some additional articles for reference:
Lead found in donated venison at food shelves http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/17072096.html Minnesota food shelves will halt distribution of venison donated by hunters after lead particles were discovered in ground venison at North Dakota food shelves. ... Authorities urged that any donated meat that had already left the food shelves not be eaten.
Eating venison, other game raises lead exposure http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/lead-in-game-meat
Wild game source of lead for those who eat the hunted meat. http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org:80/ehs/newscience/lead-from-bullets-ends-up-in-wild-game-and-people/
So if anyone gets sick or worse on Mt. Lebanon donated venison, will Mt. Lebanon be liable for damages.
Killing these deer is just wrong .This time of year especially because if you kill a bachelor group of bucks who have lost there racks,you've done nothing to population. If your going to cull you must cull doe`s. Why do we have to put up with it ,what the penalty for taking down the pens they put up.
I hope to heck that some of you who are disgruntled over this situation will put your feet and your mouths before the Commissioners and state your objections and concerns. In case you're not paying attention to what's been going on, it's been the same few (think THREE or FOUR) concerned citizens taking up the charge at Commissioner Meeting after Meeting. You don't have to be a public orator to stand up there, give your name and address, and state that you are opposed to this killing in your community. This situation is only made worse by the fact that the community leaders have done next to nothing with a host of non-lethal options available to them to lessen the severity of their perceived "deer problem". I know that there are folks working behind the scenes and we are thankful for every effort being made to restore sanity to our community. But, we need a collective voice, too...WE NEED TO BE SEEN AND TO BE HEARD, LOUD AND CLEAR. ISN'T IT TIME FOR YOU TO SPEAK-UP?
19 comments:
Not yet. They're still cowering their homes because the killer deer will get them and their little dog Toto, too!
I can't say anything good. But what about the non target animals that go into the corrals? How are they going to keep the other "desirable" creatures out? How are they going to SEE the deer at night? What makes them think the deer are going to chill in the corral while they wait to be killed? How is this at all reflective of humane animal treatment? Many animals, when trapped, panic and there is no evidence that corralled deer just take it easy.
Mean girls never grow up; they just teach another generation their tricks of the trade.
5:55, all excellent questions. Remember, Mr. Benner (the expert) and his company have no experience in this type of deer management. And they're going to use high powered rifles from elevated positions to shoot frightened deer.
Nick M.
If there will be fabric around the corrals to keep the deer from panicking if they spot people, how will the deer killers be able to see what they are killing?
I have received emails letting me know that Kristen was on KDKA tonight with the big news. Don't overdo it, Kristen. You need to take care of yourself. Maybe you should resign now that your work is done.
Elaine
Nothing on the Mt. Lebanon website. No LeboALERT.
You want to know what is going on? Read the newspapers, watch the news, and follow Lebo Citizens.
Elaine
Wow! People writing to the Trib are pretty cranky about this. Here is one of the comments:
This is the Person who Started and Pushing for this Kill.................... Commissioner Kristen Linfante Ph: 216-346-8057
Term Expires: December 31, 2015 http://www.mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?nid=28
Elaine
Please note that the police "marksman" taking part in the town's bait and shoot program to control deer -- fired the round aiming down at the deer from a raised platform and was several hundred yards away in the woods, when the bullet struck something and ricocheted and blew a baseball size hole in the home of a couple with a little boy, who were all home at the time. Sound safe?
OFFICER'S ERRANT SHOT AT DEER UPSETS RESIDENTS
The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)
Byline: Thomas J. Dolan - NEWS NORTHTOWNS BUREAU
Three days after an errant shot fired from a nearby woods struck their home, a young Amherst couple are still shaken by the thought of what could have happened.
Amherst police say that one of their officers -- a marksman who is taking part in the town's bait and shoot program to control deer -- fired the round and that the shot ricocheted before hitting the house.
But that's not good enough for residents of San Fernando Lane, where the bullet landed in the second-floor guest room of a young family's home.
"In my opinion they should not have been anywhere this close to a house," said a woman who lives in the house struck by the bullet. She agreed to an interview Monday on the condition that her name and address not be published.
"When it happens, your instinctive reaction is to be outraged. We felt that at the time and still do," she said.
At about 10:30 a.m. Friday, her husband was working in a first-floor room of the house and the couple's son was staying home from grade school because of illness, she said.
The bullet blew a baseball size hole in their upstairs guest room window and lodged in a picture on the wall.
Amherst police came to the house, and they were "extremely cooperative and extremely sensitive and sympathetic" about the incident, she said, but she added that nobody should be shooting a weapon that close to a house.
Police told her the officer involved was several hundred yards away in the woods, aiming down at a deer from a platform when the round struck something and was diverted toward the houses on San Fernando Lane.
Over the weekend, her husband took a walk into the woods and said it was "not that far." "If there's a chance of a fluke, they shouldn't be there," the woman said.
According to the town's online map system, the woods are located between Casey and North French roads, covering an area about 1,000 yards long and about 600 yards wide at the midpoint. The map also shows there are houses on three sides of the woods, the nearest of which are located about 300 yards or less from the center of the woods.
According to the woman, her neighbors are aware of the incident and they are "very interested in what's happening." As for her son, she said, it has been "difficult to explain" to him what happened.
Assistant Police Chief Ronald H. Hagleberger told Town Board members Monday that the bait and shoot program will remain suspended until the department concludes its noncriminal investigation of the incident in about three weeks.
Police were withholding the names of the officer who fired the round and the owners of the home that was struck.
"I don't want to have this unfortunate incident stop the program," Amherst Council Member William L. Kindel said, calling the incident "one in a million."
But Council Member Daniel J. Ward disagreed, saying the bait and shoot program is "an accident waiting to happen," because Amherst is not a rural community.
Program officials said they would continue nonlethal attempts to control deer herds during the suspension period.
Nick M. January 28, 2015 at 6:12 PM
I totally agree with your assessment. This is crazy, and an accident waiting to happen.
I just saw coverage of this on the news. "Lured into local parks and shot with silent rifles for $500/deer." I am horrified. Mt. Lebanon has completely lost it's soul. All of you residents and commissioners who support this - Shame on you. You reap what you sow. God help us all.
6:33 AM, in my latest post, I included KDKA's interview with the commissioner who started it all. Kristen Linfante is in her glory.
Residents, keep emailing the commission and PA Game Commission if you disagree with this. That is all we can do.
Elaine
I lied. There is something else that can be done. Angry residents can attend the February 10, 2015 Commission meeting. The commissioners ignored the three of us who continuously spoke against the deer killing.
Elaine
Mt. LEBANON must have MONEY to Burn! PA Archery Hunters Would of done it for FREE! As for Kristen Linfante what does a " Music Teacher" know about Deer Management? She should get lost and play her Fiddle where no one cane Hear It!
Many states that have observed Chronic Wasting Disease have banned baiting and feeding deer because of the hypothesis that these feeding practices spread the disease.
Some deer may feed on the bait in Mt Lebanon but leave the area and not be culled. *If* CWD is a possibility in this region, the PGC is setting a bad precedent with their approval of this culling program.
PA Game Commission states that "supplemental feeding leads to increased disease risk...and With CWD approaching our borders, the increased potential for disease transmission and outbreak is perhaps our greatest and most immediate concern".
It's disheartening to see our state government continue to promote double standards. Isn't Merlin Benner a former state employee? So he gets to feed the deer, kill them and reap $75k but anyone else in state should refrain from the same practice bc we could endanger the entire population of deer. Further, the hunters pay to kill deer but we are paying Benner while the hunters stay home.
These state employees/agencies demonstrate the same poor ethical standards highlighted by Mt Lebanon's municipal government (I no longer say our because I don't want to be associated). One can only hope the state leaders are modestly more evolved. It's increasingly doubtful at this point.
"It's not my job, man!" can be heard all the way from Harrisburg.
Dave Brumfield can blame the Game Commission all he wants but remember he voted in favor of this crazy scam.
I hate to burst Linfante's "humanitarian" feel good justification for slaughtering the deer and feeding the poor with Mt. Lebanon's donated venison, but here are some safety facts about eating wild venison, that should alarm any municipality getting into the deer killing and donating venison business.
The dangers and health risks of eating wild venison:
* Wild deer (venison) doesn't originate from an approved USDA inspected food source.
* The meat doesn't go through a USDA inspection to make sure it's safe to eat.
* The field-dressing (gutting) process subjects the meat to environmental contamination and temperature abuse, i.e. E-Coli and other bacterial contamination.
* Recent CDC studies show that eating (rifle shot) venison significantly raises lead exposure to dangerous levels, especially for children and pregnant women .
* Wild deer (venison) typically has high levels of herbicides and pesticides from browsing on treated grass, i.e. True Green applications. Eating the golf course deer will probably kill you.
In Rochester NY the USDA made an exception and inspected deer meat from a bait and shoot culling. They wrote, "All of the venison which was salvaged from the bait and shoot operation in Rochester was found to be unfit for human consumption ... The intention had been to donate this meat to the NYS prison system to be fed to prisoners. We have seized it and will oversee its destruction."
At risk are low-income beneficiaries of venison donation. While the rich can choose between their USDA inspected meats, the poor are being fed uninspected meats with the high probabiliy of disease and bacterial contamination, and dangerous levels of lead and pesticides poisoning.
This issue has become even more serious with the lead poisoning guidelines being recently revised.
Lead poisoning guidelines revised; more considered at risk
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-05-16/cdc-blood-lead-level-standard/55005258/1
Some additional articles for reference:
Lead found in donated venison at food shelves
http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/17072096.html
Minnesota food shelves will halt distribution of venison donated by hunters after lead particles were discovered in ground venison at North Dakota food shelves. ... Authorities urged that any donated meat that had already left the food shelves not be eaten.
Eating venison, other game raises lead exposure
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/lead-in-game-meat
Wild game source of lead for those who eat the hunted meat.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org:80/ehs/newscience/lead-from-bullets-ends-up-in-wild-game-and-people/
So if anyone gets sick or worse on Mt. Lebanon donated venison, will Mt. Lebanon be liable for damages.
Killing these deer is just wrong .This time of year especially because if you kill a bachelor group of bucks who have lost there racks,you've done nothing to population. If your going to cull you must cull doe`s. Why do we have to put up with it ,what the penalty for taking down the pens they put up.
Protest where do i sign up we need to know where Corrales are i will camp out. This is so wrong
I hope to heck that some of you who are disgruntled over this situation will put your feet and your mouths before the Commissioners and state your objections and concerns. In case you're not paying attention to what's been going on, it's been the same few (think THREE or FOUR) concerned citizens taking up the charge at Commissioner Meeting after Meeting. You don't have to be a public orator to stand up there, give your name and address, and state that you are opposed to this killing in your community. This situation is only made worse by the fact that the community leaders have done next to nothing with a host of non-lethal options available to them to lessen the severity of their perceived "deer problem". I know that there are folks working behind the scenes and we are thankful for every effort being made to restore sanity to our community. But, we need a collective voice, too...WE NEED TO BE SEEN AND TO BE HEARD, LOUD AND CLEAR. ISN'T IT TIME FOR YOU TO SPEAK-UP?
Post a Comment