This is a classic. It does two things…..at least. One, if you go the article that accompanies this video, you can read Bob Baker’s (Come on Down! The Price is Right guy) letter he wrote asking that deer hunting be stopped in one city in Maryland because killing all animals is inhumane.

Second, the mayor of Rockville, MD, who appears in an interview on this video, brags that she’s a former educator….. biology background she says. She does all educators an injustice because of her utter ignorance of the subject being discussed. It’s all about what we teach our kids you know!

I guess there is a third item that ought to mentioned. The TV interviewer ought to bone up on a subject also before she conducts an interview.

All this, and we still need to ask, why aren’t people being taught the truth?

Former ‘Price is Right’ Host Bob Barker Sends Letter To Rockville Residents To Stop Deer Hunt: MyFoxDC.com

MISSOULA, Mont.–Conservation education projects in nine counties in Maryland and one county in Delaware have been selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

The new RMEF funding for Maryland, totaling $7,315 will affect Allegany, Baltimore, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Garrett, Harford, Montgomery and Wicomico counties. An additional project has statewide interest.

In Delaware, $2,035 has been allocated for two projects in Kent County.

“Wild elk don’t occur in either state, but the species continues to inspire conservation and education successes both at home and all across elk country,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “These grants wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers, most of whom are hunters as well as conservationists, who work hard staging banquets and fundraisers in Maryland and Delaware.”

RMEF’s lead volunteer for both states, State Chair Steve Bird of Conowingo, Md., said, “There may not be any elk in Maryland or Delaware, but there are thousands of people who are passionate about ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, and their habitat!”

RMEF grants will help fund the following Maryland projects, listed by county:

Allegany County–Provide sponsorship for the Maryland 2010 Junior Hunter Field Day to engage students in outdoor recreation and conservation (also affects Wicomico, Charles and Garrett counties).

Baltimore County–Provide sponsorship for 2010 Upper Bay Greenwing Youth Event to introduce students to outdoor recreation and conservation.

Caroline County–Provide sponsorship for the Maryland 2010 National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration at Schrader’s Bridgetown Manor to show the fun, discovery and conservation benefits of traditional outdoor sports.

Cecil County–Provide sponsorship for the Northern Chesapeake Sportsmen for Kids 2010 Field Day to introduce students to outdoor recreation and conservation; and sponsor the American Legion Mason Dixon Post 194 Shooting Team to provide young people with safe opportunities to shoot competitively.

Charles County–Provide sponsorship for the Patuxent Sportsmen for Kids 2010 Youth Field Day to introduce students to outdoor recreation and resource conservation.

Garrett County–Provide sponsorship for the Maryland High School 2010 Natural Resources Career Conference to provide students with information and hands-on experience relative to a professional career in conservation.

Harford County–Provide sponsorship for the Mason-Dixon Outfitters 2010 Youth Hunt Day to introduce young people to safe hunting, shooting and conservation.

Montgomery County–Provide sponsorship for the Maryland 2010 National Hunting and Fishing Day, a family event to show the fun, discovery and conservation benefits of traditional outdoor sports.

Statewide–Provide 2010 sponsorship for the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation, which monitors legislative issues on behalf of hunters, anglers and recreational shooters.

Delaware projects include:

Kent County–Provide funding for public education tours at the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Aquatic Resource Education Center and DuPont Nature Center; provide sponsorship for wetland restoration tours at the Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area.

Conservation education and hunting heritage projects are selected for RMEF grants by a committee of RMEF staff and volunteers.

Partners for 2010 projects in Maryland and Delaware include the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, many local sportsmen associations and gun clubs, other organizations, corporations, schools and landowners.

Are you interested in helping out a worthy cause? Check out Huntonly.com‘s participation in Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry along with upcoming events.

Tom Remington

Yesterday concluded the first day of the Maryland bear hunt in which 36 bears were taken. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources wants to reduced the western Maryland bear population by around 50 bears. Having great success during the hunt was Coty Jones. She’s a junior at Corcoran College of Art and Design. She brought down a state record 615-pound black bear. That weight bests the previous state record by 129 pounds.

During yesterday’s hunt, the Humane Society of the United States was announcing the results of a recent telephone poll stating the poll showed that 61% of Maryland residents were opposed to the hunt. According to the Baltimore Sun, there were some results of that poll the HSUS wasn’t eager to share.

However, 63 percent of those polled in Western Maryland, where the bulk of the bears live, favor the hunt.

This fact surely indicates what some have been preaching for years that once people are directly involved in wildlife problems and have accurate, first-hand knowledge of the facts, their outlook changes dramatically. It’s easy for the city people, some who have never seen a live bear, to say they are opposed to hunting. If provided with all the facts, often they change their minds as most reasonable people would.

With 36 bears taken on the first day and the second day underway right now, there’s a reasonably good chance the bear hunt will end after today.

Tom Remington

Despite protests from a few who believe animals are equal to humans, the planned black bear hunt in Maryland will begin this morning. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources says that once 50 bears have been taken, the hunt will end.

Good luck to all the Maryland bear hunters and hopefully you won’t run into people like this one who posted the following comment on this blog over the weekend.

I’m voting for the bears. I hope the hunters drink lots of beer during their big hunt. I love reading about fatel hunting accidents.

What perversion!

You know I got a real kick out of one media account of the planned bear hunt for this morning. I think they tried their darnedest to report the story with as little bias as possible so I got a real chuckle at this one writer’s attempt to discredit Maryland and the bear hunt when they finished their piece this way.

There are several states with much larger bear populations that do not allow bear hunting.

Isn’t that a hoot? It really shows the lack of knowledge about what wildlife management is all about.

Tom Remington

With a new governor in Maryland, the Humane Society of the United States is eager to lie, cheat and steal to convince Gov. Martin O’Malley to put an end to the bear hunt that was reinstated by former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.. So far, Gov. O’Malley is sticking with the plan.

Still, the governor plans to continue to allow the hunt as part of the state’s effort to control the bear population, said O’Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese.

“The governor certainly understands and respects the diverse viewpoints on the issue, but the growing bear population and its impact on citizens, especially in Western Maryland, requires some action,” Abbruzzese said.

With a growing bear population of about 10% per year, residence there are finding out that living with too many of these large predators can be not only a challenge but down right scary.

One person eager to see the hunt continue is Charlotte Stanton, whose home on wooded property in Grantsville was attacked by a rabid black bear Aug. 29.

Stanton, 39, said she was at home with her husband and two children when they saw a black bear climb up on their fence. She said she screamed to try to scare it away, but instead of running, it charged and tried to break in the door – which she held shut.

“The bear went to the window, and started yanking out the air conditioner,” she said. “Me and the bear wrestled over the air conditioner, with the bear trying to pull it out and me trying to hold it in.”

Finally, she said, her husband, Michael, found his shotgun and shot the bear. Tests showed it had rabies. All four members of the family had to get rabies shots because they had touched the bear’s blood and saliva.

“The state needs to let people shoot more than 50 bears because that’s not near enough,” Stanton said. “These bears just aren’t afraid of humans anymore.”

The lottery style bear hunt in the western part of the state calls for the taking of just 50 bears. Around 2,800 people applied for the 220 permits issued. When a hunter takes a bear, they must notify the state and take the bear to a registration station. Once 50 bears are taken, the hunt will be called off.

The bear hunt is scheduled to begin on October 22 and will run until either the 50 bears are taken or until October 27.

Tom Remington

In the Washington, D.C. area sewage treatment plants are manufacturing human poop pellets. A poop pellet is a fertilizer derived from the treatment of human waste. Yes, stuff that used to be in your toilet bowl. The product is called TLC, Tuscarora Landscaper’s Choice, and people who use it say it is an incredible fertilizer that makes lawns green and lush and one user claims in grows vegetable plants where no seeds where ever planted. Such a deal.

Some users are claiming that using this stuff, which has a bit of a pungent odor, keeps deer at bay. In areas of Virginia and Maryland where deer herds are so numerous, farmers and homeowners are being eaten out of house and home by the deer. They are looking for anything that will help.

But not all people say the stuff works as a deer repellent.

The Washington Post covers the story.

Tom Remington

Yesterday I said that the Maryland DNR had announced they were going to shrink the once granted hunting safety zone back to the legal minimum around all dwellings of the Savage River Lodge. Today, there is more information available at the MDNR website.

The Savage River Lodge sits on private property within the Savage River State Forest. Maryland state law requires no hunting within 150 yards of any dwelling. This is called a safety zone and because of complaints by the owners of the lodge, the DNR increased the safety zone which in turn prompted complaints from public users of the forest, including hunters.

The MDNR has been addressing the complaints and at a meeting with constituents on February 27, 2007, they spelled out the steps they have taken so far. The first issue deals with the hunting safety zone.

The primary issue raised at the meeting was opposition to the “No Hunting, No (Loaded) Weapons” signs posted along Mt. Aetna Road and the Green Trail.

DNR’s original reason for posting the signs centered on public safety concerns. DNR agreed to conduct a re-evaluation of the need for signs by Feb. 2007.

Based on the number and nature of law enforcement complaints that occurred on the tract during the 2006 rifle and muzzleloader hunting seasons, DNR agreed to remove the signs along Mt. Aetna Road and the Green Trail. However, the Department will maintain a 150-yard safety zone around all occupied structures on the Savage River Lodge property, where standard safety zone signage will be posted.

Click on map for a full page-sized map.

At issue as well, were concerns by citizens about “no parking” signs posted by Savage River Lodge along the Mt. Aetna Road that leads into the forest.

The “no parking” signs posted by Savage River Lodge along Mt. Aetna Road have been removed. However, DNR will be placing State “no parking” signs along the road in the turn-out areas to prevent parking in those locations.

While parking along the road is not legally prohibited, it would be extremely difficult to park legally along this road. Due the narrow width of the road, a vehicle would need to be parked completely off the road to avoid blocking traffic.

There are two gates located on or near this same road. One gate sits on public lands, the other on private. Citizens want the gate left open so that they can have access to the state forest.

DNR and the Savage River Lodge have a shared legal right-of-way (ROW) from Old Frostburg Road to the Savage River Lodge property line. As a State agency administering public lands, DNR’s ROW is shared by the public and is available for public use.

Therefore, the “limited access” signs have been removed, and DNR will instruct Savage River Lodge to remove the gate placed across the road on state property.

The gate on private land will remain in place and will be used to open and close the road.

Public access to the road will be adjusted seasonally, based on the public’s need for access to the Mt. Aetna tract for legitimate recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting, etc. DNR will determine gate openings and closures based on what is best for the tract. Due to the shared ROW legal status of the road, these determinations will be made in consultation with Savage River Lodge.

An issue of concern was the request for the state to build a parking area at the entrance to the forest.

DNR has conducted an inter-disciplinary team review of this request. A final decision on whether or not to install an additional parking area on the tract is pending.

*Previous Posts*
Maryland DNR Shrinks Savage River Lodge “Safety Zone”
Maryland DNR Tells Landowner To Remove Gate And Take Down Signs
Savage River Hunting Land Appears Useless To Hunters As State DNR Panders To Private Lodge Owners
Savage River Hunting Land Up For Debate
Maryland DNR Giving Away Public Lands For Private Use??

Tom Remington

Savage River Lodge is a private retreat that sits amid the Savage River State Forest. State law says hunters must remain 150 yards from any dwelling. Owners of the lodge complained to DNR officials who responded by expanding that zone more than doubling the size of the safety zone.

Hunters began complaining to DNR and other state officials that actions being carried out by the owners of the lodge, Michael Dreisbach and Janis Russell, essentially prohibited access to the public lands and limited hunting to a point where it was nearly impossible to use any of the land.

A hiking trail that criss-crossed the park also had been granted a safety zone. Some complained that the layout of the trail combined with the safety zone virtually closed down the park.

There was also much dispute about a gate leading into the park and signs erected by the owners of the lodge. People complained that the gate was being illegally closed and locked and that Savage River Lodge owners erected “No Firearms Permitted” signs and tried to enforce it. The DNR ordered Savage River Lodge to remove the signs and leave the gate opened.

The DNR announce yesterday that they are reducing the size of the granted safety zone to what is supposed to be the original zone granted by law. It is unclear whether this affects only the dwellings or the dwellings and the hiking trail.

*Previous Posts*
Maryland DNR Tells Landowner To Remove Gate And Take Down Signs
Savage River Hunting Land Appears Useless To Hunters As State DNR Panders To Private Lodge Owners
Savage River Hunting Land Up For Debate
Maryland DNR Giving Away Public Lands For Private Use??

Tom Remington

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has told the owners of the Savage River Lodge to remove the gate blocking public access and take down their signs.

I just received a heads up from Sid Turner, one citizen who has been actively concerned about the Maryland DNR giving away public land for private business, that the DNR has told Michael Dreisbach, owner of Savage River Lodge, to remove the gate that blocks entrance to public lands inside the Mount Aetna Track. These public lands surround the Savage River Lodge.

I covered this story earlier this fall. You can scroll down for links to all previous posts.

According to Turner, he received a letter from the MDDNR with instructions for Dreisbach.

I have received a copy of a letter dated 11/21/06 from the md. dnr to the lodge owners. (T)he letter states the lodge must remove the gate blocking access to the state land, remove the no parking signs that allow the access road to the state land and the private road signs. (T)he contract with the lodge for trail cutting and clearing on state land will be terminated 12/31/06 as well.

The owners of Savage River Lodge were granted a permit to cut trails throughout the public lands that surround the property. He also had posted the lands all around the trails making them virtually unhuntable, only to Lodge guests. Local citizens became outraged and went to work to get something done about it. Public meetings were held to examine facts and to receive public comment.

I assume as a result of the actions of concerned citizens, the DNR either decided themselves or were told by the state, to fix it. But it appears that even though the letter has instructed Dreisbach to remove the gate and signs, dated 11/21/2006, the signs and gate are still there. Turner, in his email to me, states that as of today the gate and signs remain.

Turner also stated that local newspapers have reported the Savage River Lodge owner, Michael Dreisbach as saying he will not obey the orders of the DNR.

(T)he lodge owner has stated in the local times news newspaper he is not inclined to follow the instructions in the letter! (T)he dnr states (M)ike the lodge owner does not have the option to delay these matters or legal action will be taken.

It appears that Turner is correct in his statement. According to an article in the Cumberland Times-News dated December 28, 2006, Dreisbach did say that.

In a November letter, Mike Dreisbach and Jan Russell, the husband-wife owners of the lodge, were told to remove the illegal signs and to discontinue locking a gate on the edge of Savage River State Forest. The letter was written based on advice from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.

“They have kept the gate open, but Mike told us he is not inclined to remove the signs,” said Mike Slattery, assistant natural resources secretary, Wednesday.

The DNR has stated that if the owners do not remove the signs, forestry staff will take them down.

Some of the signs say “No Weapons” which is being contested as to whether Dreisbach and the state have the right to determine the public lands weapons free. The issue concerning the “safety zone” around the trails cut by Savage River owners remains in debate.

Dreisbach successfully requested the no-weapons zone in an effort he has said in the past is to protect guests at his lodge from the hunting public.

He said his guests have been approached and intimidated by unruly and sometimes inebriated hunters. Several Garrett County hunters said they have been approached by Dreisbach in a confrontational manner and ordered off public land. The Maryland Natural Resources Police was unable to document such claims by either side.

Slattery said that by February, the agency will determine whether to allow the safety zone to remain. It has been protested strongly by local hunters and is opposed by Senator-elect George Edwards.

I will continue to follow the story.

*Previous Posts*

Savage River Hunting Land Appears Useless To Hunters As State DNR Panders To Private Lodge Owners
Savage River Hunting Land Up For Debate
Maryland DNR Giving Away Public Lands For Private Use??

Tom Remington