At about 1 a.m., J. Merlin Benner, president of Tioga County-based Wildlife Specialists LLC, and an associate were at Robb Hollow, where their trail cameras indicated they'd had about four deer in a corral with the gate still open. But when Mt. Lebanon Police arrived to check on another reporter who was also near the park, they scared the deer off before the gate could be remotely closed, Benner said.
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| Straw or elevated platforms? |
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| A snowman-attacking deer ready to make his kill. |
76 comments:
"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated" Mahatma Gandi
Benner doesn't like people taking picturs of his feeders, yet he provided a picture he took himself.
Since when do hired hands from out of town have more rights than resident taxpayers?
Has any got any help or info from PETA.
Just wondering. Although the feeders were removed, there is still food left on the ground for the deer to eat. Shouldn't that have been cleaned up before the shooting begins? Is this considered baiting?
Outrageous that the cops are focused on harassing a few public opposed to the killing for being anywhere near the killing sites and not the speeders and drunks that roam the bubble at will by the hundreds every night. Is this an acceptable definition and practice of overpriced public safety in this sorry community ?
10:33. PGC appears to have given Benner carte blanche to do whatever he wants.
Were any PGC Wildlife Conservation Officers present to observe Benner's compliance with his PGC exemption?
Someone want to put together a list of ALL the unanswered questions to hand out at the meeting? Don't want to post it and give them time to prepare canned answers.
Just a line item numbered punch list. Know this is an emotional topic, but list specific questions:
1) Has xxxxxx been done?
2) When will xxxxxx be released to the public?
3) Is xxxxx complying with yyyyy as stated in the contract?
And so on.
Present it at the meeting. Hand out copies to news media. Then post the list here afterwards (copy Elaine or someone ahead of time to make sure questions are relevant and appropriate)
Even if there are no answers today, this is a great way to pin politicians down for the next meeting. "Last week we submitted a list, what are the responses for items 3,6,7... ?"
Let everyone see all the concerns and how they are responded to.
10:51 AM, yeah, the possibility of trespassing is a far more heinous crime than vehicular speeding and drunken driving - the Keystone Cops have got their priorities right for sure, not.
So they claim to be ready to kill without platforms or a PGC officer on site? Are they going to carry ladders to the sites?
11:25. Great questions for the list and to ask at the meeting.
Another nice thing about a presented comprehensive list is it gets ALL the questions on the record and eliminates relying on memory or a chance to speak at the meeting. As long as one person given permission to speak has a list or lists (who says there can't be more than one?) the commissioners have it on their plate and cannot excuse away it when asked later.
Four deer in a corral, that's all? I thought there were thousands in Mt. Lebanon.
Some people claim to have12 deer in their yards and they're not even trying to lure them.
This guys going to be lucky to kill 50 deer, so you know he'll be going for an extension, blaming his failure on saboteurs, protesters, news reporters, and the weather. Anything and everything except for overinflated deer numbers and a dumb ass plan.
I believe it's time for Mr Benner to take responsibility for his own plan and actions. Blaming the police for flaws in his plan isn't a good way to conduct business.
--Tom the Tinker
I emailed Elaine with some questions. Why is the media not reporting that deer will be indiscriminately killed, including pregnant does? Fawns? Why is the true brutality of this not being reported? Have the residents opposed to this provided a petition to cease, with hardcopy signatures? Are more residents able to attend protests?
Also, has anyone informed the media that the number if deer/vehicle accidents has been skewed? As well as the number of deer? Has Kelly Fraasch's information on her blog, which addresses the accidents, been provided to the media?
Does Benner get anything beyond the $500/deer?
Say he kills 10 deer total. Would he only get $5000?
This could turn into a money-loser for Benner. Unless he conned his workers into being paid per kill, he's gonna be out several man-weeks of pay. Add in motels, transportation, food, gas. Did he buy or rent the corrals?
If this mess continues, he may not bid next time.
:)
If the commissioners pay MORE than $500 per deer if he comes up short, they will have a fun time trying to get reelected.
Look what happened from ONE bullet ricochet
http://www.wtae.com/news/over-8000-without-power-in-westmoreland-county/31701766
That was just posted on WTAE today.
Now imagine Benner's experts shooting HUNDREDS in Mt. Lebanon
Are there any connections between Benner, NRA, commissioners? Between the small number of residents for this cull and commissioners? Something seems completely underhanded and corrupt.
12:23 pm I don't think anyone has done that -- can you provide that data to them?
Benner is connected to oil/gas folks that have been in trouble at the state level for conflict of interest... from what I can tell. He double dips in that arena too; provides advice to the state on how to manage wildlife wrt oil/gas and then runs a business benefitting from his suggestions.
And people laughed when I said it could happen on Connor Road. Errant bullet caused Hempfield power outage
Elaine
Sorry, this is not related to the deer - but I wish I could read the article that you linked, Elaine. But I guess the Post Gazette requires a subscription for on-line access now. Good luck with that. So frustrating!
1:44 pm..that may be taken more seriously coming from someone with more clout. I know people have made calls to media but dont know what was said. Any way to for now, someone to alert the media? Can an investigation be started asap? Any attorney residents who know or can assist?
The pro-kill folks will be out in full force at tonight's commission meeting. It is going to be an exciting meeting. They must be nervous. We'll hear stories about Lyme Disease, deer attacking snowmen, lots of deer poop stories, how the sterilization permit was denied - not that it was submitted incomplete, people quoting from the bogus "Deer Incident Report", that there are thousands of deer living in Mt. Lebanon or over 600 deer living in Mt. Lebanon or 400 deer living in Mt. Lebanon or whatever the latest number they are throwing around, referencing an out of date deer aerial survey done in 2013, while ignoring the following year's survey showing a 42% reduction in deer, citing deer/vehicular accidents as a public safety issue while forgetting that 34 kids have been hit by cars since 2006. Good thing the agenda is short.
Elaine
1:44 pm...not certain my comment posted correctly. Anyone who has some data or knows anything should whistleblow...just saying there is something more to this than meets the eye. What does it take for a resident to get an investigation started and who to call? Anyone with enough clout willing to do so?
Anyone pro kill enough for this twisted, sick act isnt anyone you want as a neighbor. Can you give those reports out to people outside of the meeting?
{Elaine, please edit as you see fit. They are no doubt reading posts, so you may want other means to offer advice for tonights meeting.
You are doing an outstanding job!
A. Friend}
Politicians will often "load up" meetings early, sometimes with supporters bused in, and declare "no more room" for those with opposing views. Get there early and film the crowd for outside ringers.
Expect the speaking list to be filled up with prokill shills. When signing up, snap a picture of the speaking list.
These deer pictured in the Trib article will likely be killed tonight or this week. I believe Wildlife Specialists LLC has 8 corrals set up, maybe a 9th in process, and so if they only kill 6 deer in each current corral, they could easily kill around 50 deer, which is $25,000 for the contractors. The first kills will be the easiest. Almost all of these corrals are on the outlying borders of Mt. Lebanon, and so many of these deer are likely being drawn into Mt. Lebanon by the corn bait from adjacent communities. So many aren't even resident Mt. Lebanon deer.
The pictures and videos of the deer feeding and showing up around the corrals in no way demonstrate an overpopulation of deer in Mt. Lebanon. The deer numbers I've observed, i.e. 2 to 4 deer around each corral look like a fairly normal number of deer that one would expect to live in or have their home range intersecting these wooded parks and corridors. If there were 400 or 600 deer per sq. mile, you would be seeing a lot more deer eating from these corrals.
It's difficult to see pictures of these tame, trusting and gentle beings, and knowing they will soon meet a violent death; i.e. their brains blown out (if lucky), a plastic bag tied over their heads and if still alive smothered, and dragged to a truck, then gutted from chest to tail and deboweled, full term pregnant doe will have their wombs cut open and her babies removed and killed, and then their heads cut off. The deer trapped and killed will likely be small families consisting of a pregnant doe, her two fawns from last spring, and maybe a yearling.
IMO, there is something extremely evil in gaining the trust of tame and gentle deer, and then trapping and killing them in this way. In addition, it's disturbing that Coleman Scott, the Chief of Police, and his officers are harassing residents who oppose the use of lethal weapons in their community and this inhumane slaughter, and who are legally protesting and trying to take pictures to document this slaughter. Additionally disturbing, is that Coleman Scott is not enforcing killing corral locations that violate the law, and the terms of this killing contract, or even responding to resident inquiries.
The handful of elitist residents who pushed for this slaughter, i.e. Commissioner Kristen Linfante (puppet), Barbara Logan (puppet master), Carolyn Byham, Bonnie VanKirk, Michalina Pendzich, Marilyn Narey, and Lourdes Castellanos, and Commissioners Brumfield, Bendel, and Silverman, should be forced to watch this slaughter, and the handful of residents with "eat more venison" signs in their yards should be forced to watch the slaughter and eat the pregnant doe and her fawns. In addition, the residents, and the churches and synagogues that did absolutely nothing to stop this inhumane slaughter in their parks and backyards are equally as guilty and got blood on their hands.
the Pro Kill are really organized Elaine.. and most are from the wealthy Markham area. it's all bullshit on the issues of deer-accidents and lyme disease..they just want a reduction in deer (tax-player paid) so they can plant their expensive plants.
i plan to move as soon as kids are out of school but worry all this bad PR will make my house worthless.
3:13pm, clear the cookies on your browser. It will work then.
The Post-Gazette pay-wall is not very high.
--Tom the Tinker
I hope someone will ask the Commissioners what kind and caliber of rifles and grain of bullets are being used, AND what the maximum range is of a bullet from this rifle.
The rifle typically used in these deer killing programs is the .223 caliber bolt-action rifle with 55-grain bullets. The maximum range of this ammunition is 2.20 miles.
However, I've heard that some vendors are using the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a civilian version of the M16 military rifle. These are magazine fed with 30 bullets clips being popular. The AR-15 would likely also use the 55-grain bullets, and have the same 2.20 mile maximum range.
To date, no one has asked this questions, and Wildlife Specialists LLC has not disclosed the lethal weapons being used.
Has the proof for all of that been submitted to anyone outside of the council members? Can it be made public knowledge or supplied to the media?
Wow,, i googled Merlin Benner for the first time and found that this guy a a Deacon at the Wellsboro Bible Church!!
http://www.wellsborobible.com/leadership-2/
Don't forget that those deer incident reports include calls to Animal Control about deer. My injured bird phone call recently ended up with a 911 operator.
I can't go to the meeting but if someone would mention that they are corralling the pregnant deer and their families without access to water when they close the gates, I'd appreciate it.
Even for death row, this is cruel.
Thanks, Tom the Tinker!
Protestors...scream it out while being filmed. Let everyone know what they are doing. The commissioners know and love the idea.
3:51...the sad part is that all those "people" (and i use that term loosely) dont care about anyone or anything other than themselves. They dont care about the people they supposedly serve. Their selfish, murdeous, cruel, unfeeling hearts are unspeakable. Terrorist group in Mt Lebo trying to annihalate. No better than the major terrorist groups in the world.
3:54 Tom the Tinker - that's what I do, too!
One would think that the deer incident report would match vehicle accidents noted on the MTLPD police blotter, right? Afterall a vehicle-related injury whether caused by a deer, a cellphone distraction or another vehicle is reportable. After a quick check, this does not at all seem to be the case.
Even if this is an innocent oversight, it sure calls into question the accuracy of much of the so-called deer incident report.
The blotter is likely accurate - yet the commission doesn't use it to help make decisions about mitigating traffic accidents and injuries.
Some very questionable priorities (perhaps corrupt is the better adjective by now)...
3:58 PM - this ammunition can be armor piercing and Obama is taking steps to have it prohibited for civilian sale because it can penetrate police bullet proof vests...2.2 mile range and armor piercing in only a 6 square mile community of 33,000 people. How loony can a government become and be tolerated ?
Post it on facebook. Twitter. Any social media you can. Give all the insane details you can. Spread this as wide and far as you can! Name names!
Morally and ethically corrupt, 5:36 PM for sure - financial corruption is a definite possibility given the factual history of the contract.
I am spreading this to folks in other states. Hold your heads high you self important a-holes.
3:58. Definitely curious about what rifles and ammunition are being used.
To date, all I have heard is "small caliber" and suppressed.
Pa code says this
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/058/chapter141/subchapCtoc.html
but... PGC gave Benner permission to break all sorts of rules that ordinary hunters must obey, so...
"Small caliber" could be anything from a .22 rimfire to a .24, .27 or .30 caliber projectile, depending on who interprets "small". Elk require at least .27
The suppression of a round is most effective when the muzzle velocity is < 1100 fps, otherwise there is a distinct ballistic crack from the supersonic bullet.
A subsonic .22LR has little chance of a one-shot kill unless you are point blank on a deer standing still.
Faster projectiles go further.
The military specs effective range of the .223/5.56 round as 500 meters. That's to kill a man. Wounding is obviously further.
The chief of police would be (IMO) grossly negligent if he has not asked what Benner is using, and also (again, IMO) negligent if approving rounds which can maim or kill outside the arbitrary limits they seem to be using.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A LAWYER my opinion (IMO's) are based on physics and some familiarity with firearms.
If Benner's crew didn't take any deer last night, they now have to average 7.14/day deer killed over the remaining 21 days left in the agreement to reach the goal of 150.
In heavy rain deer tend to hunker down under shelter rather than roaming about foraging for food.
But given the fact that Benner quickly resumed his corral & kill after suggesting he needed more time to get gear in suggested there has been a deal made to extend his deadline.
The commissioner don't want to be embarrassed by a cull that doesn't reach their set goal and Benner wants that $75,000. He's got to pay for those extra people.
5:36 unlikely they would use M855 armor piercing rounds. They are not designed for dropping deer at short range. The proposed ban is an incremental step to further restrictions, but that's a whole different matter. They may well be using M193, which as was stated above has a long range, and frankly is nuts to use in an urban area.
Ask what they are using, specifically, at the meeting. "Small caliber" is meaningless and a total BS answer.
Has it occurred to anyone that MTL might pull another fast one in regard to the food bank donation requirement, in that once the slaughter is over, MTL will withhold payment to Benner because the contract has not been fulfilled in its "entirety"? This is a trick MTL/SD has employed in the past and i wouldn't put it past them to try it again, and rightfully so. Then they can put that $75k towards the (first) outstanding $80k+ change order for the Crown Jewel.
- Zack Morris
We still haven't seen pictures of the urine saboteurs, have we.
Could it be possible Benner was setting up some sort of breech of contract (for not keeping people clear of the corrals) or some such as a bargaining chip for more time to make his $75,000?
Can't make the meeting tonight.
Someone please ask if there has been any discussion or is there any intent to extend the cull beyond March 31st if Benner doesn't achieve his 150 dead deer by that date.
KDKA's claim of being the most watched, most trusted news team could be suspect if you compare KDKA's coverage and WTAE's!
Write to, email the White House tonight and ask that this type of killing be outlawed! Give all the details and your concerns.
Awful foggy tonight. I can only hope the murderers don't shoot something they aren't aiming for! Keep your teenage boys at home tonight, lest we have "collateral damage." Can our fearless leaders NOT see how insane this whole thing is? ARRRGH
6:18 would be funny if they stiffed Benner
I have composed to the White House. We cannot reason with or trust these folks and they wont back down. Enjoy fulfilling your bloodlust commissioners and small elitist group. What will you do if outlawing this is successful next year? Kill something else as cruelly as possible? How do you live with yourselves, and while knowing how disrespected, disliked and horrid you and your actions are?
7:35, they don't care. They read your comment with satisfaction that you are upset and can't seem to do anything about it. Vote out the incumbents in the next election. Volunteer to assist the group gearing up ensure John Bendel isn't re-elected.
PGC rubber-stamped Benner's request to up the kill teams from two to five people.
This likely means they will be blasting away at two or more corrals simultaneously.
Conceivably, they could station a hit man* at each of five corrals and collect the carcasses when the night's work is done.
*apologies to the mob, which had some ethics
While Team Slaughter thinks everyone is at the meeting and they can sneak some stuff in, guess what?
We're not.
:)
Amazing they are like this, 7:56. I wonder if all communities have people like these in office. Can also still try to push for a federal law against it. Can try.
I called channel 11 news. They told me PETA was to be there. Were they there?? Are people covering the corrals tonight? If there are enough people milling around in legal spaces it may scare the deer away as it did last night.
9:20, did you tell ch 11 what they're doing culling deer families and pregnant deer? How cruel this all is , and on purpose?
To the people who want and are enjoying this cull, why are you living in a deer state? Instead of gruesomely killing these creatures, why dont you move to Florida or anywhere? Why are you living in a state that has deer? Get out of our state and area. You don't belong here.
I will never forget that Snowman Deer photo.
"Kids, no snowmen today -- Rudolf is going down in the corral out back. How about Call of Duty instead?"
10:27 pm
These are unhappy people who obsess about their yards. I had a paper route as a kid in the South Hills for a very long time. On my route, only one person would not allow me to walk through his yard. I had to go the "long way" to get the paper to his front door. He was an older man without children and his wife never came outside. His yard was perfect. But I never saw him smile. Ever.
These are people who have lost joy in their lives and they are united in their disdain for wildlife in their yards.
And somehow, their opinion is more important than the rest of ours.
10:03 yes, I said a great majority of the females would be pregnant. That is double murder. Not to mention if a fawn did not make it into the corral then that fawn would be without a mother, this just tears me apart. Was Benner or PETA at the meeting. Asking this a second time. Those PETA people can be crazy. But they are effective!
10:34, that snowman picture has me in tears. 10:38, Agree with you but I can't muster any sympathy for them. 10:44, thank you.
10:44 They WANT to kill as many pregnant doe as possible.
Their mission is deer population decimation.
3:53 PM - My family and I have decided to move out of Mt. Lebanon as soon as school ends, too. I pray our house sells, or we will rent it - whatever it takes to get out of here. I will not raise my children in a town that believes in killing innocent wildlife in such a horrific way.
10:44, I honestly can't wrap my mind around the fact that this is legal. It's completely wrong in every way.
I didn't count but I would guess that ten prokill spoke. The rest were all anti-kill, including hunters!!!
The Bendel quote about the sterilization permit being was a "misprint."
Bendel also cut off Kelly Fraasch during her FIVE whole minutes to speak. NO commissioner ever cuts off another commissioner in the middle of his or her presentation.
As far as the $500 per deer, the game commission will decide if we have to pay $500 per fetus.
PETA was there tonight but since non-residents weren't allowed to speak, we never heard from them. Two consecutive meetings- non-residents were permitted to speak. Tonight, there was a sign up sheet for non-residents and it was pulled!
Elaine
There is so much to report, so if people ask, I will try to answer.
Out of the mouths of babes... a notable number of the youth speaking against the cull. Very powerful.
Out of the mouths of Mt. Lebanon residents... No one can say that MTL residents are not the majority of the opposition. The people were HERE, and they ARE PISSED.
If Bendel wants to be the face of this, let him.
This is a textbook lesson on power and government.
Anyone with kids in local colleges, send them a heads-up on this mess. A good cause and teachable exercise on dealing with bureaucrats and politicians. Shoot, when we were in college we would be all over this, especially if invited.
What's the best method to connect with all the local college kids? Ideas?
When hunters and PETA are on the same side, what does that tell you?
*The Bendel quote about the sterilization permit being [denied] was a "misprint."
Elaine
Tonight's meeting was terrible. Mr. Bendel your time is up, let's vote him out.
Who is running against him?
12:29. Hunters and PETA on the same side, what does this tell us?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ZOKDmorj0
;)
12;28 AM Post flyers in student unions, dorm lobbies and bus stops at local colleges. Post on social media - facebook, twitter, etc. Hope this helps.
If we don't run our own candidates, the new candidates endorsed by the corrupt local parties with dead ideas will be just as bad as the current crop.
If we don't run our own candidates, the new candidates endorsed by the corrupt local parties with dead ideas will be just as bad as the current crop.
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