Laptop Battery On Dec. 19, the Bernards Township Committee trampled democracy and put citizens at risk in the township by accepting the recommendation of the township's Deer Task Force to open 16 municipal sites to recreational hunting. They did this despite the fact that on Sept. 24, the committee had promised residents in an open town meeting that no recreational hunting would be allowed on municipal land.
Resident youth hunters age 16 or 17 years old must purchase a youth hunting license and a $10 youth deer gun license (antlered or antlerless) for each deer hunted, unless exempt. Resident youth under 16 years of age are exempt from the purchase of a hunting license, but they must purchase a youth deer gun license for each deer hunted. All resident hunters under 18 years of age are exempt from the purchase of a fishing and hunting legacy permit.< >
Thinkpad The task force, headed by William Darrow and the hunting subcommittee of Dan Snyder and Robert Rich, amended the deer kill permit application to the state to include bow hunting and shotgun hunting on municipal land and private property, as well as paid shooters on county land within the township. Deer control methods vary in local towns, and Bernards Township is out of step with its Somerset Hills neighbors on this issue.
Resident deer gun hunters must have a hunting license and a fishing and hunting legacy permit or proof of exemption to hunt deer in Oklahoma. In addition, they must possess a deer gun license (antlered or antlerless) or proof of exemption for each deer hunted.< >
Microsoft On Dec. 19, the township committee ignored our urgent requests to take the amended application off the consent agenda to allow the public to voice its opinion. This was a direct insult to the democratic process. Consent agenda items are by definition matters of routine business only. Reneging on a promise to residents by opening municipal land to recreational hunting is anything but routine.
That came after difficulties in designating sites where hunting would be effective and could be done without opposition from residents, Fellin said. Communities must get permission from all residents who live with 450 feet of a designated hunting area, and some oppose hunting or worry about safety, she said. Unlike the other municipal hunts in Somerset County, Bernards successfully concluded its hunt with sportsmen, said William Darrow, chairman of the local deer management advisory committee.
Laptop Computers When the township committee promised no recreational hunting on municipal land in September, was it telling the truth or not? Is a promise made to the community only good for the moment?
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Laptop Computer There's no such thing as smart or safe hunting in suburbia. Attorney John Belardo was quoted in September as saying he had safety and liability concerns about recreational hunting on municipal land. Why has the township decided to ignore this concern? Does the township committee really believe that allowing local hunters onto municipal land somehow reduces the risk?
year program to reduce the local deer herd, "we're working it out as time goes on, " said Mayor Patricia Flannery. heeled communities that hold yearly hunts to supplement the state's public hunting seasons, said Larry Herrighty, chief of wildlife management for the state Department of Environmental Protection. The township wants hunters to kill 100 to 120 deer annually, preferably more, in addition to those shot during the state seasons, Flannery said. After two outings this month, Deer Management Systems has brought the total up to 98.
Desktop Computer Who authorized members of the task force to conduct a pilot program of bow hunting on municipal land last year without notice to residents and in violation of municipal laws? The state played no part in this self-serving experiment. Under what authority did this behind-the-scenes recreational hunt take place? Was the township prepared to cover the liability associated with this activity, to say nothing of the risk to public safety that went unreported until after the fact? To call the outcome a success and boast that no one was injured is to betray an astonishing attitude toward the illegality and risks involved.
Notebooks The state says that "bow hunting is inappropriate for a cull where the object is to kill multiple deer as quickly as possible." (Nov. 1, 2002, letter to Dr. Darrow from Robert McDowell of Fish and Wildlife) So why is Dr. Darrow and the township committee promoting bow hunters at bait sites on municipal land as the linchpin of their latest deer management plan? Who or what is driving their decision-making process?
Lenovo Is anyone surprised that task force members who promoted bow hunting on municipal land as early as 1999 are ready and eager to participate in the recreational hunting program detailed in the latest permit application to the state? Convenient access for bow hunters seems to be a driving force behind the scenes.
Hard Drive At a time when residents are already outraged over local taxes, does it make sense to budget $133,500 for deer management, paying shooters $225 per deer to bait and kill deer near the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge? In effect, Dr. Darrow has said that federal deer won't come to municipal bait. Is this real or is this a joke? Isn't this just another attempt to make up for the abysmal failure of last year's deer kill program? What possible hope of success do they have other than to get their numbers from outside our town?
Travelstar So when will the Bernards Township Committee recognize that lethal methods haven't worked elsewhere and won't work here? If it is really concerned about safety, wouldn't the money be better spent on reflectors and education? Strieter-lite wildlife roadside reflectors are scientifically proven to reduce auto/deer collisions by 78 to 90 percent. Landscape damage is best addressed with fencing, repellents, and deer-resistant landscape designs.
Gateway There's no such thing as smart or safe hunting in suburbia. How far down this wrong road will the township committee go? The silence of bow hunting belies its brutality. No civilized community should tolerate this approach to wildlife management.
Laptop Parts By Jane Books and Rosemary Grace
Bernards Citizens for Rational Deer Management Basking Ridge
Star-Ledger - 1/12/2003
Topic: Wildlife
