Shooting in our neighborhoods UPDATED 06.12.19

Our commissioners promised us that it would only be for five years or until the deer/car collisions were reduced by 50%. Gee, is anyone even tracking that now? I haven't seen a report of its kind in several years.
-Elaine

Subject: Shooting in our neighborhoods - Give Public Comment This month, June 11th 8PM
From: a Mt Lebanon Resident for Safe Neighborhoods

Good afternoon Everyone,

I hope this message finds you well.

As you are all aware, the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners have voted annually to spend tax payers’ money to receive a SHOOTING Setback SAFETY WAIVER from the Pennsylvania Game Commission so that they can discharge guns in unknown locations in our parks and in private yards through out our community.  If they don't hear from citizens against it, they will likely blindly continue the program.  Commissioner Fraasch has been the only one over recent years to vote against this program because of the obvious Safety Issue it presents and this is her last year on the Board.

The topic of Deer Management is currently scheduled for the commissioners discussion meeting on June 11th at 6pm.

There is no place within our densely populated community that qualifies under the Game Commission's 150 yards set back safety requirement to shoot guns at animals; Our commissioners request and receive a permit from the State to WAIVE THE HUNTING SAFETY SETBACK REQUIREMENTS so that they can hire outside contractors to shoot rifles without any Safety Setbacks in our public parks and in private yards with permission from only the yard owner!

Use of our tax money to discharge high powered rifles to kill deer around our homes is an accident waiting to happen - Human Error with a gun can happen! 

Further, isn't it ironic that the same company that says Mt Lebanon should shoot deer, gets PAID to shoot deer?  Where's the Oversight??

Other organizations who have suggested alternatives to shooting have been ignored.

Moreover, while they will have you believe that shooting deer is the answer to everyone's issues who complain about seeing deer, science has proven that the rebound effect is real; i.e. once you reduce a population unnaturally, the deer have more food and will have multiple births; i.e. more deer - further other deer just infill where the others were shot.

Let the COMMISSIONERS know you're against the continuation of this Dangerous, Expensive program - They assume everyone is happy with this program ... let them know you're not!  We also have one newer commissioner, Craig Garella, who replaced Dave Brumfield last year.  Let him know what you think of the program.... DON'T LET YOUR VOICES GO UNHEARD!

Please Speak during public comment  at 8:00 pm at the upcoming Commissioner meeting on June 11th.

Commission Chambers, Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building, 710 Washington Rd, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228

Email your Commissioners:

commission@mtlebanon.org

jbendel@mtlebanon.org

smclean@mtlebanon.org

ssilverman@mtlebanon.org

cgrella@mtlebanon.org

kfraasch@mtlebanon.org

Call them too:

https://mtlebanon.org/28/Commissioners

Thank you for your attention to this grave matter.

Update: June 12, 2019 8:21 PM Review of deer management presented in Mt. Lebanon

Show me the numbers.

Mt. Lebanon commissioners approve budget, sharpshooting program

Please show me where the deer/car collision reports are. Where is the deer "management" proposal/contract for 2019? It has always been posted before the commissioners voted to approve it.

http://mtlebanon.org/2114/Deer-Management-Information

This place is so corrupt.

Looking for deer "management" on the municipal website? Good luck!

After searching for the link to Mt. Lebanon's deer "management" program, I finally did a search. Sure enough, it was hidden on December 5, 2018. To find it, go to  

1. Home >
2. Services
>
3. Administration
>
4. Official Documents>
5. Deer Management Information>
6. Historical Deer Management Information

Whew! That was easy. There is no information about Tony DeNicola's proposal for killing up to 75 deer for no more than $59,605. Such a bargain!!! Want to hear more about this deer killing sale, go to tomorrow evening's commission meeting where you will hear Craig Grella (the guy who is afraid of deer) read this action item on the agenda. We go through this exercise every year. Nothing is posted on the municipal website. No car crash reports. No proposals.  No documentation whatsoever.

Last year, we spent $1352.81 per deer killed in Mt. Lebanon. 57 deer were killed. If DeNicola kills 57 deer next year, it will only cost taxpayers $1045.70 per deer. Remember, Tony told us that it would only cost us about $200-$300 per deer, while sterilization would cost much, much more.

Read about it here: https://lebocitizens.blogspot.com/2018/03/are-you-sitting-down-135281-per-deer.html

DeNicola loses out

The commission's agendas for Monday, July 23, 2018 have been posted.

Discussion session
Adjourned meeting

Consideration of a proposal for professional deer management services. The Municipality received proposals from two organizations for the provision of services to manage the hunters participating in the deer management program for the 2018-2019 archery season. The proposals are as follows:

 Bid Items
Suburban Wildlife Management Solutions $8,000
White Buffalo $9,000

Municipal staff has reviewed the proposals and deemed the low bid to be accurate. Recommended Action: Move to authorize the proper officials to execute the contract with Suburban Wildlife Management Solutions, LLC for deer management services utilizing archery for the 2018-2019 season.

The archery season for 2018-2019 is  Sept. 15- Nov. 24 and Dec. 26 - Jan. 26, 2019.

A little background on Suburban Wildlife Management Solutions. They can take the Wild Out of Your Life. Animal control is offered for skunks, ground hogs, raccoon, mink, muskrat, opossum, woodchuck, beaver, fox, coyote, rabbit, squirrel, mice, rats, chipmunk, and others! I wonder how the PA Game Commission feels about them. Deer was not listed.

White Buffalo archery results for 2017-2018 25 deer killed at a cost of $360 per deer. Tony DeNicola's White Buffalo charged Mt. Lebanon taxpayers $1352.81 PER DEER for their "sharpshooting" program. Original cost was estimated to be between $200-$300 per deer.

"Sharpshooting" has concluded!

From:	Steve Silverman <ssilverman@mtlebanon.org>
To:	egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc:	Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
Subject:	Re: "Sharpshooting"
Date:	Wed, Mar 21, 2018 3:18 pm

---

Elaine, 

Keith received confirmation that the Sharpshooting program has concluded for this year. 

Steve

Steve Silverman

Commissioner Ward 2

ssilverman@mtlebanon.org

412-491-3794

On Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 7:32 PM, 'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Commissioners,

Any chance that Tony is done shooting in Mt. Lebanon yet? I know he has until the end of the month, but typically, he doesn't go to the very end.

Elaine Gillen

Various parties will be notified.

What does THAT mean? The Public Information Office finally fixed the December 5, 2017 broken link to the FAQ "Sharpshooting" 2018 program on January 16, 2018. Shooting starts in a week. The details become more and more obscure every year. We're back to the hours listed as "Shooting takes place in the late afternoon and after dark." Seven days a week.

As I have written before, DeNicola originally quoted MTL commissioners $250 per deer for "sharpshooting." This year, our commissioners are willing to pay $771.10 per deer, even more lucrative than Timmy's annual increases! That is based on killing 100 deer. What will be the true cost this year? We will learn more in April, after DeNicola has cashed his check.
Just like previous years, the number of archery kills from the middle of September to January 31, 2018 will be available half way through the "sharpshooting" program. 

Looks like we are being FUQ'ed again. Frequently Unanswered Questions (FUQ) No contract posted on the municipal website. Through a Right To Know, you can read it here. 2017-2018 "Sharpshooting" Contract "Executed" copy available here.

Not transparent enough, Susan. For those who like to accuse me of making personal attacks toward our PIO, I just publish what she says. https://lebocitizens.blogspot.com/2015/12/latest-right-to-know-shaking-my-head.html

Not transparent enough.

Execute the execution

Our brilliant commissioners are still under Tony DeNicola's spell. The commissioners will be voting on November 27, 2017

Consideration of a contract for a white-tailed deer management utilizing sharpshooting. The Municipality desires to follow the controlled hunt archery program currently occurring with a sharpshooting program under a PA Game Commission political subdivision permit. This activity would occur from February 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018. 

The Municipality received a proposal from White Buffalo, Inc., to provide deer management sharpshooting services. Under the contract up to 100 deer could be removed at a cost of $77,110. 

Recommended Action: Move to authorize the execution of this agreement with White Buffalo, Inc., for the removal of up to 100 deer at a cost not to exceed $77,110, subject to the approval of the manager and the solicitor.

Do we even have 100 deer? As in the past, we have no idea how many were killed by the archers, during Archery Season. Last year, the taxpayers paid Tony $9,000 to have "volunteers" kill 36 deer.

According to my blog posting from November 23, 2016  Tony, please return the commissioners' brains, 

Recommended Action: Move to authorize the execution of this agreement with White Buffalo, Inc., for the removal of up to 100 deer at a cost not to exceed $83, 477, subject to the approval of the Manager and the Solicitor.

55 deer were killed last year by "sharpshooting," at a cost of $815.78 per deer.

Year	Deer Removed	Cost of Removal
2007	79	$19,900  (USDA)
2008	146	$50,837 (USDA)
2015	6	$3,000  (Wildlife Specialists)
2016	101	$15,460 (White Buffalo -Archery)
2016	114	$74,375 (White Buffalo –Sharpshooting)
2017	36	$9,000 (White Buffalo- Archery)
2017	55	$44,868 (White Buffalo -Sharpshooting)
Total	537	$217,440

Here is the breakdown by year:

2007 $288.41 per deer
2008 $348.20 per deer
2015 $500 per deer
2016 (archery) $147.24 per deer
2016 ("sharpshooting") $652.41 per deer
2017 (archery) $250 per deer
2017 ("sharpshooting") $815.78 per deer

Brumfield's legacy will be to approve another year of killing deer with high powered rifles in undisclosed areas of Mt. Lebanon. He once said that he will only vote for shooting deer when the deer carry rifles, to even the score. I wrote that

Both Steve Silverman and Craig Grella want to continue doing business with that scoundrel, and will vote along with John Bendel and Steve McLean to keep Tony DeNicola. Killing deer causes collisions to increase, but they will continue to bring in lethal weapons because deer are scary.

Craig Grella didn't have to vote this year. Brumfield will get it passed. Parents, expect another CYA letter in January from Super Timmy and Keith McGill like this one sent last year. Bullets never cross sidewalks We'll hear how there hasn't been an accident. Will they only stop when there is? 

To Hell with those with PTSD.

Manager's numbers are out of whack!

Keith McGill sent this table to the commission, the assistant manager, and the person who requested this information at the last commission meeting. I don't know where Keith got some of these numbers, but his records are not accurate.

Good afternoon,

At the meeting on Monday night there was a request to identify the number of deer removed since we put a deer management program in place and the associated cost. Here is what my records indicate:

Year	Deer Removed	Cost of Removal
2007	79	$19,900  (USDA)
2008	146	$50,837 (USDA)
2015	6	$3,000  (Wildlife Specialists)
2016	101	$15,460 (White Buffalo -Archery)
2016	114	$74,375 (White Buffalo –Sharpshooting)
2017	36	$9,000 (White Buffalo- Archery)
2017	55	$44,868 (White Buffalo -Sharpshooting)
Total	537	$217,440

Keith


There were 69 deer killed in 2007. The permit was for up to 75. http://mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/8876

In 2008, USDA killed 146 deer, but only knew about 145 deer. The 146th was found dead, in a pool of blood, in someone's front yard on Lindendale. The permit was for up to 150 deer.

The 2016 Archers killed 104 deer. http://www.mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/13897 Goal was 100.

The 2016 "Sharpshooting" program killed 115 deer. We were told that the limit would be 150 deer.

The 2017 "Sharpshooting" contract was limited to 100 deer. 55 deer were killed.

The only time hunters reached their goal was in 2016. The goal was 100 deer. All the other years, hunters came in short of their goals. I have no idea where Keith is getting his numbers, but these are the numbers I found on the municipal website.

To take this a step further, the cost of killing per deer per year breaks down to:

2007 $288.41 per deer
2008 $348.20 per deer
2015 $500 per deer
2016 (archery) $147.24 per deer
2016 ("sharpshooting") $652.41 per deer
2017 (archery) $250 per deer
2017 ("sharpshooting") $815.78 per deer

Both Steve Silverman and Craig Grella want to continue doing business with that scoundrel, and will vote along with John Bendel and Steve McLean to keep Tony DeNicola. Killing deer causes collisions to increase, but they will continue to bring in lethal weapons because deer are scary.

Sharpshooting is OVER!!! UPDATED 2X (Proprietary info!)

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.


Mt. Lebanon has ended sharpshooting phase of deer management due to current/projected warm weather. More info on homepage,www.mtlebanon.org.

Deer Management Update (February 23, 2017)

SHARPSHOOTING HAS CONCLUDED. The sharpshooting phase of this year's deer management program has ended because of the unseasonably warm weather, which is projected to continue. There has been diminished activity at bait sights because deer now have other food sources, so the 
municipality cut the program short rather than expend additional funds for what would be a diminishing return. 

Under the contract, either party has the right to end the program with notice; payment is only for time and materials expended as of the date the program ends. The municipality and White Buffalo, the contractor, agreed that ending the program now was the most fiscally responsible course of action.

White Buffalo will provide a final report in the near future, which will be posted here. 

Update February 23, 2017 8:44 PM Now it's a five year program.

“It was the fiscally responsible decision,” said municipal spokeswoman Susan Morgans. “They reached about half the [2016-17] goal … but there was not a sense of disappointment. We’re just two years into a five-year program.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2017/02/23/Mt-Lebanon-calls-off-rifle-cull/stories/201702230185

Update February 24, 2017 3:56 PM DeNicola told me last year that the type of bait and how it is distributed is proprietary. Here is how he does it in Cincinnati.

This is DeNicola spreading corn over in Cincinnati last month. No bait stations.

No mention of archers, baiters, or shooters...Ever

I have mentioned the manager's weekly Administrative Report sent to commissioners and copied to municipal staff in previous posts. I want to share last week's report, as well as this week's report to the commissioners.

Administrative Report #5 February 3, 2017

Administrative Report #6 February 10, 2017

The commissioners learn about missing manhole covers, limited usage of golf carts during mild weather, tree inspections, and the occasional hole in one, but there has NEVER been anything mentioned about the two archery programs or the deer "removal activities" from last year or this year. No mention of baiting. Nothing about when it began. No mention of the report which will be presented by Keith McGill at Tuesday's Discussion Session.

I find it ironic that golf cart usage will be restricted, but Team Tony will be permitted to drive trucks and drag deer carcasses at the golf course.

I get it. It is not relevant, right? The commissioners don't want to know or aren't allowed to know anything about their lethal plans which cost $100,000 a year. Don't ask. Don't tell. Got it.

Shooting starts Feb. 1, 2017 - March 31, 2017

Look for more of these signs going up. On public property only. Private properties will remain private.

But only at the PUBLIC areas, not private property. The commissioners believe that it is none of our business to know where the bullets will be flying on private properties in Mt. Lebanon. Dave Brumfield was quoted in The Almanac:

“What is at issue is a number of residents that have volunteered their property for the program. In doing so, they did not expect to open themselves up to public ridicule or harassment from someone who might disagree with their beliefs on the issue of the deer cull.”

Killing on private property will occur seven days a week, starting at 4 PM, while killing on public areas will be restricted to five days a week. For Heaven's sake, do not go sled riding at the golf course on a Friday night. Your children may be exposed to a "teaching moment."

I sent the following email to the commissioners, manager, and police chief. I have not heard back from any of those seven people.

Commissioners,

In case you missed it, I posted Keith's letter to the district concerning your "sharpshooting" program in my post, https://lebocitizens.blogspot.com/2017/01/bullets-never-cross-sidewalks.html Your announcements to this lethal program are always buried on the municipal website.

I wonder if MLPD will be issuing the same suggestion in Keith's letter on NextDoor. Also, will his suggestion be posted on Facebook and other MTL social media?

Elaine Gillen

"Parents and teachers may want to tell children to avoid the designated parks after dark and suggest they use sidewalks/established safe walking routes instead of shortcuts through private properties."

Remember to keep your kids and pets on sidewalks. Mt. Lebanon has installed bullet proof glass next to all sidewalks in Mt. Lebanon. That must be true if our manager suggests that we use sidewalks. He also wants us to tell children to avoid the designated parks after dark. The only problem with that statement is that shooting will begin at 6:00 PM, not after dark as he states.

Frequently Unanswered Questions (FUQ) UPDATED

I hope I won't be FUQ'ed again by the commissioners. I sent many questions to the commissioners this morning concerning the upcoming "sharpshooting" phase, which will begin on February 1, 2017.

Here is my email:

Commissioners, 

The archery season is to end on January 28, 2017. We're told that the "sharpshooting" phase with White Buffalo will run from Feb. 1, 2017 - March 31, 2017. http://www.mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/14630 Looking at the commission meeting calendar, the next meeting is January 23, 2017. When will the results of White Buffalo's archery program be released? Your next meeting won't be until the middle of February, two weeks into the 2017 "sharpshooting" program. 

What type of bait will be used for the 2017 "sharpshooting" phase? What type of feeder will be used to bait the deer? 

The 2017 contract has never been made public, but here is a link to the contract obtained through a Right To Know.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9r_1biKte_bWVVDZTBQbl9iVWc/view?usp=sharing When will you be putting that contract on the municipal website? The contract states that an aerial survey will be conducted. When will that take place?

Specifically, what will the hours be for the 2017 "sharpshooting?" All we were told is that it will take place late afternoon and after dark seven days a week. 

I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Elaine Gillen 

Update January 19, 2017 11:29 PM Yep, I got Frequently Unanswered Questions from the commissioners. I never heard from any of them. Steve Silverman forwarded my email to Keith McGill without a word. Keith replied earlier this evening, but I just got a chance to post it.

From: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Sent: Thu, Jan 19, 2017 7:10 pm
Subject: Re: "sharpshooting"

Good evening Elaine,

I wanted to provide you with a response to your questions regarding the upcoming sharpshooting program. The report for the controlled archery hunt should be available by the February 14th Commission meeting. 

As was the case with last years program White Buffalo will determine the type of bait and baiting system that they believe will be most effective.

The approved contract and the notification letter that will be sent to the school district will be posted to the municipal website early next week. Regarding the aerial survey, I assume that you are referring to item 1 under sharpshooting protocols in the approved contract that reads: 

1. Prior to initiating any field activities the target area/s and surrounding properties are thoroughly surveyed using digital aerial images followed by field confirmation. By knowing the location of every occupied structure and areas of human use we are better able to work safely, discretely, and efficiently;

The digital aerial images would be google earth or something similar. This has already been done for all of the properties that will be used in this year's program. This information combined with field confirmation is done to ensure that the culling operation can take place safely.

The hours will be the same as last year. Sharpshooters will work seven days a week on private properties beginning at 4:00 PM and concluding by 11:00 PM. They will work in the identified public properties Monday - Friday beginning at 6:00 PM and concluding by 11:00 PM.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Keith

On Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 5:55 PM, Steve Silverman <ssilverman@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Steve Silverman

Commissioner Ward 2

ssilverman@mtlebanon.org

412-491-3794

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: 'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Date: Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 10:27 AM
Subject: "sharpshooting"
To: commission@mtlebanon.org


Commissioners,

The archery season is to end on January 28, 2017. We're told that the "sharpshooting" phase with White Buffalo will run from Feb. 1, 2017 - March 31, 2017. http://www.mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/14630 Looking at the commission meeting calendar, the next meeting is January 23, 2017. When will the results of White Buffalo's archery program be released? Your next meeting won't be until the middle of February, two weeks into the 2017 "sharpshooting" program.

What type of bait will be used for the 2017 "sharpshooting" phase? What type of feeder will be used to bait the deer?

The 2017 contract has never been made public, but here is a link to the contract obtained through a Right To Know. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9r_1biKte_bWVVDZTBQbl9iVWc/view?usp=sharing When will you be putting that contract on the municipal website? The contract states that an aerial survey will be conducted. When will that take place? 

Specifically, what will the hours be for the 2017 "sharpshooting?" All we were told is that it will take place late afternoon and after dark seven days a week.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Elaine Gillen 

"I will never vote for sharpshooting."

Dave Brumfield said this for years. Dave Brumfield is a goddam liar. The vote was 4:1 in favor of "sharpshooting" with Kelly Fraasch being the only one who voted against it.

Babs Logan and other gardeners spoke during citizen comments, thanking the commissioners for their efforts. The garden loving, deer haters urged commissioners that this program must be continued for at least three years, since the Cornell prophet, who never stepped foot into Mt. Lebanon or knew how large it was, had advised commissioners.

Another $83,477 will be spent to wipe out the deer population or kill up to 100 deer, whichever comes first.

As I wrote previously:

• Tony DeNicola finished earlier than expected this past March. He couldn't find any more deer.  
• Mt. Lebanon went to the Court of Common Pleas over the privilege of killing deer in Twin Hills Park, a 25 acre property owned by Mt. Lebanon which is situated in Scott Township. Mt. Lebanon won, but there were restrictions including the use of sharpshooting in Twin Hills. Either Mt. Lebanon honors that agreement, or Mt. Lebanon goes back to court for the use of high powered rifles in Twin Hills.
• Archers have killed half as many deer this year, even with the additional 25 acres in Twin Hills.
• The archery program concludes on January 28, 2017.
• The commissioners will not have an official count of kills until February.
• Either there are bogus accident reports being filed with MLPD, or we have sloppy bookkeeping. The numbers don't add up. Increased reported collisions vs. lower accidents vs. fewer dead deer pick ups. 
• We do not know what type of bait or system that White Buffalo will use to distribute the bait. I was told that Tony's bait is proprietary. Evidently, Tony owns the patent on corn and apples. I thought God held that patent. Allegheny County Health Department is ready to fine Mt. Lebanon since ground feeding is not permitted.

This is what to expect:

Tony DeNicola and Mt. Lebanon are entering a contract to bait-and-shoot deer with high powered rifles on Mt. Lebanon's public property under a special permit from the Pa Game Commission (PGC) that supersedes all state game hunting regulations and safety zones. All safety zone requirements will be suspended under this permit. Residents can request that DeNicola bait-and-shoot deer on their property w/o meeting any PGC safety zone requirements. The rifles and ammunition typically used in suburban deer shooting programs is the .223 caliber rifle with 55 grain ammunition, which has a maximum range of 2.3 miles.

When Mt. Lebanon was shooting right next to my home in Rockwood Park, putting my family, children, and pets at lethal risk, there was nothing I could do to stop them. Little did I know that they were violating a Federal law by shooting on public property so close to Foster Elementary School. 

If you want to protect your family, you will have to stay in your homes and move in to your basement. This is when I was told by Kristen Linfante to pay a visit to John in Rollier's paint department to pick out a soothing color for my basement. 

Mt. Lebanon will not notify you that shooting will be taking place right next to your home because your neighbors are "donating" their properties. Allegedly, Mt. Lebanon will not even know where these properties are located because of the covenant between DeNicola and your neighbors. Our commissioners will be putting Mt. Lebanon residents at lethal risk of harm in our own homes. 

Dave, you could have kept your word since there was a majority without your vote. But no. 2017 is going to be the worst year ever with you as president of the commission. God help us all.

Somewhere in Virginia Manor

Tony, please return the commissioners' brains

The agenda for Monday's Commission meeting has been posted on the municipal website. The commissioners will be approving more "sharpshooting" for 2017.

John Bendel is introducing the following action item:

Consideration of a contract for a white-tailed deer management program utilizing sharpshooting. 

The Municipality has been developing a multi-faceted deer management program. Mt. Lebanon has an archery program that utilizes trained and licensed volunteer hunters to remove deer on private and public property. The archery program will continue through January 28, 2017. The Municipality desires to follow-up on the archery program with sharpshooting under a PA Game Commission political subdivision permit. This activity would occur from February 1, 2017 to March 31, 2017. 

The Municipality received a proposal from White Buffalo, Inc., to provide deer management sharpshooting services. The municipality has also received a Deer Control - Political Subdivision Permit from the Pennsylvania Game Commission permitting this activity. White Buffalo’s proposal contains two options: one to remove up to 100 deer at a cost of $83,477 or an option to remove up to 150 deer at a cost of $132,038. 

Recommended Action: Move to authorize the execution of this agreement with White Buffalo, Inc., for the removal of up to 100 deer at a cost not to exceed $83, 477, subject to the approval of the Manager and the Solicitor.

Here is what we know. Or don't know.

• Tony DeNicola finished earlier than expected this past March. He couldn't find any more deer.  
• Mt. Lebanon went to the Court of Common Pleas over the privilege of killing deer in Twin Hills Park, a 25 acre property owned by Mt. Lebanon which is situated in Scott Township. Mt. Lebanon won, but there were restrictions including the use of sharpshooting in Twin Hills. Either Mt. Lebanon honors that agreement, or Mt. Lebanon goes back to court for the use of high powered rifles in Twin Hills.
• Archers have killed half as many deer this year, even with the additional 25 acres in Twin Hills.
• The archery program concludes on January 28, 2017.
• The commissioners will not have an official count of kills until February.
• Either there are bogus accident reports being filed with MLPD, or we have sloppy bookkeeping. The numbers don't add up. Increased reported collisions vs. lower accidents vs. fewer dead deer pick ups. 
• We do not know what type of bait or system that White Buffalo will use to distribute the bait. I was told that Tony's bait is proprietary. Evidently, Tony owns the patent on corn and apples. I thought God held that patent. Allegheny County Health Department is ready to fine Mt. Lebanon since ground feeding is not permitted.

Archery successful? Not so much.

It looks like the archery hunt isn't going as well as expected. Even with the additional 25 acres in Twin Hills Park located in Scott Township, archers killed half as many deer as last year at this time. Oh wait. Did I say "killed?" I meant "harvested." That was the grim news from Tony DeNicola.

The numbers aren't adding up though. The number of reported collisions involving deer has increased more than 80%, from 49 to 89 this year. Yet, the number of reported accidents has decreased from eighteen to nine this year. Dead deer pick ups has decreased 31%, from 96 deer to 66 deer this year. Commissioners are confused as to why the numbers don't match.

DeNicola went on to say that he is "getting phone calls from homeowners who are just inundated with deer." One Morrison Drive resident claims to have 5-10 deer visit daily, even though Twin Hills Park is within a quarter mile.

Dave Brumfield wanted to know how to measure the success of the program, if not accident rates. “You may have to kill 300 or 400 deer in order to get a reduction in accidents this year," DeNicola said.

Of course Michalina, known for her killer cake (Read about her at lebomag.com), wants more killing for three more years. One year of data isn't enough, in her mind.

Tony DeNicola said the municipality may have to reconsider its strategy. Commissioners will be considering his proposal at the November 28 meeting.

Mt. Lebanon advised to rethink deer archery, sharpshooting cull

Speaking of sharpshooting UPDATED

I can't wait to hear why Tony DeNicola thinks we need to hire him again for possible "sharpshooting" for 2017. Discussion Session Agenda for October 24, 2016.

Is it because the 700-800 deer that we "suddenly" have are too smart for archers, but not too smart for "sharpshooters?"

Will the archery program which runs through January 2017 result in hundreds of surviving pregnant does and we will have a population explosion yielding thousands of fawns?

Will we ever learn what method of distribution Tony will be using for his proprietary corn, patented apples, and magic beans?

Oh wait. I know. Archery is ineffective without the use of bait. Yeah, that's it. See? Tony doesn't have to charge us for his advice. I saved Mt. Lebanon hundreds of dollars.

So commissioners, without knowing how successful the archery program is, without knowing how many deer were killed, without knowing how many deer have survived and live in Mt. Lebanon (and Scott Township), and without knowing if he is doing this day or night, you can approve another "sharpshooting" program and Tony will continue to make you guys look like chumps when he charges us $83,477 to kill up to 100 deer or $132,038 to kill up to 150 deer as per his RFP.

Update October 25, 2016 7:49 AM No worries, Commissionettes. Tony will be on the November 7 Discussion Agenda.

From:	Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To:	egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc:	Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Subject:	Re: Discussion Session Agenda
Date:	Tue, Oct 25, 2016 6:06 am

---

Good morning Elaine,

Sharpshooting was removed from last night's agenda as Tony DeNicola would have only had approximately 10 minutes available last night due to a commitment in another community, This item will be placed on the November 7th discussion agenda.

Keith

--

Keith McGill, AICP
Municipal Manager
412-343-3684
kmcgill@mtlebanon.org 

This should please the deer haters

"Sharpshooting" RFP 2017

Tony's got us hooked. He will charge $132,038 for 22 days of killing 150 deer or $83,477 for 14 days of killing 100 deer.

No mention of time of day. No mention of when this is to begin or end. No mention of his magic, proprietary bait or how it will be dispensed. It is illegal to put bait on the ground in Allegheny County. The rats are getting excited for another feast in 2017.

Keep in mind that we are being charged $9000 for the archery program this year. We were told last year that the start up fee was to implement the program and provide a foundation or time for archers to develop a rapport with the twelve property owners when they grant access to their properties. To the best of my knowledge, these properties are not tax exempt, had the properties been actually "donated."

So not knowing how many deer will be killed by archers, our commissioners plan to spend thousands more for this never ending merry-go -round ride.

Six Degrees of Anthony DeNicola

Deer expert Paul Curtis, from Cornell, spoke to the commissioners last night about "deer management." Curtis, who has never stepped foot in Mt. Lebanon, has estimated that we have between 700-800 deer which is based on deer/vehicular collisions. But who is this guy? It turns out that Curtis has published a paper with the legendary Anthony DeNicola in 2000. Managing White-Tailed Deerin Suburban Environments A Technical Guide. 

Remember Jody a.k.a. Jodi a.k.a. Joe D. Maddock (Triple J) who claimed to be an expert from Bryn Athyn College? Agenda for the Dog and Pony Show He turned out to be Tony's guy, the head of the archery program.

Mt. Lebanon hired a firm to do two aerial surveys in 2013 and 2014. Aerial surveys have always been considered as the gold standard when counting deer populations. This company was not part of Tony's gang. Tony was able to convince our commissioners that aerial surveys are highly inaccurate, even though they are capable of not only counting deer, but also able to track the number of does and bucks in any given area.

Based on this "expert," who is totally not connected with Tony DeNicola (ha!), three commissioners have agreed to file the proper applications to continue "sharpshooting" this winter. 

Final "sharpshooting" invoice

Through a Right To Know, Tony DeNicola's invoice for his "sharpshooting" services is now available.

I wonder why Tony uses a bookkeeping service in California when he lives in Connecticut. Of course, we don't know that his business is located in Connecticut because it is not written anywhere - not on his invoice or his website.

I see that we were charged for carcass processing. Were the deer donated to local food banks? We have no clue since nothing was mentioned in his final report. Additionally, his final report made no mention of how many does were pregnant, a statistic that had been shared in the past.

It was so gracious of Tony to credit us close to $20,000 for going over budget. The super secret  "not public information" bait * cost us $1,035.23 and a mystery charge of $4.00 per deer (garbage bags?) was also included on the invoice. What a guy.

*I filed a Right To Know about the type of bait used as well as the method used to distribute it, but Mt. Lebanon is doing another legal review to determine if that information is public.

Shooting is OVERRRRRR UPDATED

From: LeboALERT <noreply@mtlebanon.org>
To: EGillen476 <EGillen476@aol.com>
Sent: Wed, Mar 9, 2016 3:43 pm
Subject: LeboALERT: The sharp shooting p...

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.


The sharp shooting phase of this year's municipal deer management program has concluded successfully. Updates to be posted at www.mtlebanon.org.


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Update March 9, 2016 9:45 PM Mt. Lebanon sharpshooting program ended 

Sharpshooting ends in Mt. Lebanon