Lawsuit fails to win injunction against "managed hunts" to cull deer in Montgomery County, MD
On the 15th of September, two handpicked groups of archers will begin shooting deer in a "managed hunt in two Montgomery County parks. A lawsuit by a Bethesda resident and PETA is seeking to halt this hunt, a curious hybrid of conventional deer hunting and police/ranger deer culling programs. On September 11th, the court refused to grant an injunction to halt the shooting while the case is heard on it's merits.
More on the lawsuit: http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/PETA-Sues-to-Stop-Man...
This "managed hunt" involves a complex selection process to recruit two groups of six hunters apiece to shoot all the deer park officials want killed in both parks. What 12 people will do with so much meat before it spoils is left unanswered. The chosen hunters must pass range tests for accuracy, background checks, and buy insurance. That's a lot of hoops to jump through given all the other places in MD hunters can shoot deer with just a hunting license. That in turn raises questions about why anyone would want to be part of this "managed hunt."
One of the parks is Seneca Creek stream valley park between Gaithersburg and Germantown just off route 355 in MD. The other is Watts Branch stream valley park in Potomac, MD of all places. The county's Park Service claims they have recruited archers to shoot deer because firearms regulations prohibit discharging guns in most of the county. This is an odd claim given that Park Police were permitted to shoot deer with rifles just off Jones Mill Road in Rock Creek park last winter. More likeky the motive is political: cops shooting deer invokes cops shooting people, police brutality, the works. By comparsion, recruiting even a tiny group of hunters means any public opposition will be seen as a threat by all hunters. This in spite of the fact that the chosen hunters will not be able to attempt to finish off any wounded deer unless they can do so with a shot from the same position.
Here are the complex requirements for the participants in the two chosen groups: Qualified groups will consist of/demonstrate: Group Name Identified Group Leader(s)/Coordinator(s) At least 6 intended participating hunters (pending qualifications) Possession of, or active pursuit of, group Liability Insurance policy (min $1,000,000 per occurrence with M-NCPPC; Montgomery Parks named “Additional Insured”) Resume’ outlining group experience Written, verifiable references for the group Mandatory attendance of Pre-season safety and procedural training meeting Individual participants of assigned groups will be required to demonstrate the following qualifications: At least 18 years of age State sanctioned Hunter Safety/Education Certification State sanctioned and/or NBEF Bowhunter Education Certification Experience of at least 3 years of archery hunting AND harvest records indicating harvest of at least 5 deer with archery equipment Fulfillment of the requirements of a background check Successful completion of Montgomery Parks Archery Shooting Qualification standards (at specified ranges, only) Signature of M-NCPPC; Montgomery Parks Ethics Pledge & Waiver of Liability Valid Photo I.D. Current Maryland Hunting License and Archery Stamp Participants may only participate as a member of one group from http://www.montgomeryparks.org/PPSD/Natural_Resources_Stewardship/Deer_M...
