"A Sand County Almanac"

"THERE ARE SOME WHO CAN LIVE WITHOUT WILD THINGS AND SOME WHO CANNOT."
"FOR US IN THE MINORITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE GEESE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TELEVISION.".....Aldo Leopold




"LOOK DEEP INTO NATURE, AND THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BETTER".....Albert Einstein


“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves”.....John Muir


Thursday, December 15, 2011

A Monarch Has Fallen To A Poacher...

One of the places that I frequent to observe and photograph wildlife is the Monocacy Battlefield National Park.  Recently park rangers found this beautiful buck senselessly killed, and abandoned, by a poacher.  Someone who could not be satisfied with a legally killed deer, even in a state where the bag limit during firearms season allows for 12 deer to be taken.  Park users, and all citizens, should be outraged by this wanton act that deprives the public of one of the largest deer on the park.  Here are a few of the photos I took of him this fall...












The following text is from a National Park Service press release.  If you have any information about who might have committed this act please contact Park Ranger Courtney Murphy at 301 698 6247, Ext. 225.

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 National Park Service News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – DECEMBER 12, 2011

CONTACT: PARK RANGER COURTNEY MURPHY
PHONE: 301 698 6247 EXT. 225 / 301 331 9343
PARK CENTRAL DISPATCH: 866 677 6677


On Monday, December 12, 2011 Park Rangers at Monocacy National Battlefield discovered a 12-point whitetail deer dead on the Thomas Farm section of the battlefield. It is believed that the deer was killed illegally sometime around the week of December 4, 2011. Rangers discovered the deer while patrolling a section of the park that is accessible to visitors.
Hunting is not permitted at any time within the boundaries of Monocacy National Battlefield. Shooting and taking of wildlife inside the park area is a criminal offense. Poachers are prosecuted to the full extent of the law and potentially face heavy fines, restitution costs, jail time, and forfeiture of crime-associated personal property, including weapons, and loss of hunting privileges.
Persons convicted of the federal poaching statute known as the Lacey Act and 36 Code of Federal Regulations can be fined up to $15,000 and sentenced up to one and a half years in jail.
Rangers are asking for assistance in identifying the person or persons responsible. A reward is being offered to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and successful conviction of the violator/s.

Anyone who has information regarding this violation and/or poaching in Monocacy is encouraged to contact Ranger Courtney Murphy 301 698 6247 EXT. 225























2 comments:

  1. I agree Steve. As a hunter who does thing leagally and who hunts some of these same deer I am outraged. I have several trail camera pics of this very deer and would have loved to have had a chance to atleast see this mature buck in person. I will never understand why people feel the need to poach. I have talked to some of the Park Rangers and I am trying to help them out as much as I can. I hope that someone will come forward with some information that will help bring this person or persons to justice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tommy,

    Thanks for leaving a comment and expressing your opinion. Also, thanks for doing whatever you can to help find the poacher. Hopefully someone will need the reward money and come forward.

    Steve

    ReplyDelete

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