Deer Management Update*
Wildlife Specialists will continue to cull deer in five public park areas through March 31. The parks are: Bird, Robb Hollow, McNeilly, the Mt. Lebanon Golf Course and the Connor Road Conservation Area. Activity begins at 9 p.m. when the parks close and ends by sunrise. Signs are posted at parks where activities are taking place and at the actual corral sites. As of March 13, 2015 four deer were euthanized*. We will issue another report on deer management next week.
*Mt. Lebanon Public Misinformation Office:
This is not deer management. Stop using words that sugar coat what is actually being done.
They were not euthanized. They were killed/murdered/slaughtered. We tried to make that clear, meeting after meeting.
48 comments:
If the reported count is accurate Benner by tomorrow morning will need to kill 8.11 deer a day to reach the 150 goal.
Since he's averaging about 1/day, it's doubtful he reach the goal.
Like adding game slots at the "crown jewel" field another ill-thought out municipal scheme falls apart.
Let's count.
HS renovation grossly over budget
Municipal Pool grossly over budget
Turfing over budget
New Twin Hills/McNeilly Sports fields - never built
Deer Control- FUBAR
Is this is great municipal management, I'd hate to see what bad management is.
What is wrong with this picture.
We're constantly being told things like, "I have 12 deer in my yard regularly, 2 are in my driveway in morning, deer/vehicle accidents occur on a regular basis, incident after incident and Benner-Wildlife Specialist and his 5 sharpshooters have taken out 4 deer in 3 days.
What do we need this knucklehead for? According to the accident reports we were apparently doing a better job culling the herd with our cars. According to an insurance study I read the average damage to a vehicle was around $1,200, not all that much more than with his consultant fee and bounty we're paying Benner.
Add in the corn and urine police protect and his corral and kill probably is costing us more than the average repair.
Mt Lebo doesn't have a deer problem. Obviously. It is totally fabricated. The powers that be need to save face on this one. They can try. They can try to fool and mislead the general public. It will all come out in the end.
What a joke this community is.Post gazette article today states that school budget with expenditures anticipated to exceed revenue by 2.4 million dollars. But they have $75000.00 to spend on deer murder. What a joke this township is.
Did any of the TV "personalities" in Mt. Lebanon sign Marilyn Narey's deer death warrant?
Anybody with name recognition should be publicly acknowledged for their part in this.
From Merriam-Webster:
Euthanize: the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering.
Seems the PIO beside struggling with the truth also doesn't know basic definitions.
Having personally dealt with her on a completely different subject, she really is evil. Scary evil.
12:36 pm. My guess is that Mt Lebanon municipality and school district have been rigging things to benefit themselves for a long time but the changes associated with RTK, videotapes of meetings, the internet, and blogs are rightfully making waves in their corrupt enterprises. But not soon enough...
12:36 & 1:08, the school district is not responsible for the deer fiasco.
Not that the affairs of the SB should be a topic for another day. Soon though I hope.
You may want to study the two items below to bone up.
Item one is from the Almanac.
"
Mt. Lebanon High School renovation at 101 percent of contingency funds
Published Mar 10, 2015 at 8:53 am (Updated Mar 10, 2015 at 8:53 am)
Mt. Lebanon’s high school renovation project has officially exhausted its contingency funds.
According to project manager Tom Berkebile, the latest round of change orders will push the project to 101 percent of contingency. About 90 percent of the project’s $109 million budget has been spent to date, he said at the March 9 school board meeting.
The school board plans to transfer $538,000 from the project’s furnishings and fixtures budget to replenish the contingency.
“While none of us wanted to see that number over 100 percent, the good news is we do have other sources of money available,” school board president Lawrence Lebowitz said.
The transfer represents a reallocation of funds within the project budget. Facilities director Rick Marciniak explained that nothing was being sacrificed to fund the transfer. “There is not a specific line item the money is being taken from,” he said. “These would have been excess funds.”
Marciniak went on to explain that several leaks had been repaired at the high school over the past week as snow and ice thawed. The problem areas included an old section of roof not replaced during the reonvation project and an electrical conduit in the band room.
He said roofers recommended evaluating the roof section for more substantial repairs, as several years have passed since it was assessed during the high school project’s design phase.
“As of today, we have no roof leaks,” Marciniak concluded.
Also at the March 9 meeting, the school board accepted director Scott Goldman’s resignation. Board president Lebowitz said Goldman had resigned for personal reasons.
The board intends to appoint former school board member Dale Ostergaard as Goldman’s replacement. He would serve a one-year term and does not intend to run for the seat in the next election.
“Given the challenges facing this board in terms of the budget, the high school project and ongoing negotiations with the teachers’ union, it will be best to bring on a veteran who will not need a lot of time to get up to speed,” Lebowitz said.
Ostergaard currently serves as president of the Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education. He would retain that role after appointment to the school board."
Item 2 is about how school districts have been socking away cash for a rainy day that never seems tocome because they can always raise millage.
http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/policyblog/detail/use-school-reserves-to-fund-pensions
But let's leave this topic until Elaine chooses to open a topic for it. If she does.
Corruption is commonplace in governments large and small. It largely goes unnoticed because most people are unaware and don't care.
The commissioners actions with deer have brought the spotlight upon them. Hope they get used to it.
how about the post gazette saying the rains chased the protesters away? how about the protesters went inside for the meeting?
I don't know whom the 8 year old is that painted the deer picture, but it is extremely well done.
If I were the parents, I'd think about making it this years holiday card.
Here's one source.
Hallmark Corporate Information | FAQ | Idea Submissions
If they're so minded, they could set up a Zazzle.com store and sell T-Shirts with the image and "Save the Deer!" on it.
Get a start on putting money away for art school and a way for protesters to unite.
Other communities going thru the same nonsense might fine it useful too.
Forgot to add Zazzle let's you create your own online store, they handle everything.
http://www.zazzle.com/sell
2:11 I'll talk with the artist... :-)
Okay. That misinformation from the municipality for the most part tells us what we already know (except for the # of deer killed). The commissioners told us there were eight corrals among the five already known sites. Which sites contain the three extra corrals? Another big omission.
The Denis Theatre is looking for volunteers.
Maybe they'd get a bigger response if they showed Disney's "Bambi" thru the rest of the month.
***URGENT COMMUNIQUE***************
Attention: Mt. Lebanon citizens.
Due to the irresponsible and unwise, reckless decisions your representatives have made we urge you to FEED WILDLIFE IN YOUR BACKYARDS. They are not safe in the sanctuaries they have grown to love and inhabit.
We MUST make sure there is easy and safe food available for them, they will surely choose this over the slaughter stations that have been staged and passed off as “parks”.
The deer are not safe, the commission is reckless, therefore we are not safe.
***EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY – April 1.*******
Good idea 3:01 and the police cannot possibly cite you under the No Deer Feeding Ordinance.
The Constitution rules and laws must be applied uniformly to everyone equally.
The ordinance did not have any exceptions or exemptions written into it.
They're not citing Benner, they can't cite you.
3:01
APPLES APPLES APPLES.
The fruit kind, not the phone kind.
Throw them all over the back yard in barrels. Keep them out of the parks!
3;01 is this order effective
4/1/2015,, that's when the cull/slaughter is over??
Feeding deer will anger the corn police and their overlords. Why, if someone were to put out:
Apples
Beans
Berries (most kinds)
Lettuce & Leafy Greens (although red lettuces appear to be less palatable to deer)
Peas
Pears
Plums
Strawberries
or a bucket or three of water and some peanut butter, the deer might not obediently follow their conditioned response to return to the "death corrals for a better community"
Obey your commissioners! Peasants!
the big unanswered question are they donating the meat? if not the media will have a field day with this.
I just opened a jar of applesauce.
Smells deeeeeelicious.
If I put it in a pot and heated it up, I'd bet the whole house would smell like applesauce, if the window was open, maybe the whole neighborhood.
What a better meal to cook up at night for a snack than some nice warm applesauce!
I realize MtL Magazine can do whatever they want with their Facebook page - but their threat to remove comments that are "off-topic" is incredible. They posted something about "New residents" and of course, people commented on the deer. MtL Magazine threatened to remove comments that are "off-topic". Good lord. Pure propaganda. Let people talk, share, argue...SPREAD THE TRUTH.
feed feed feed feed our beloved deer. DON'T let them win..I agree that they can't cite us when Benner is feeding them as a way to encourage their trust in people then slaughter them.
Deer do not like Carrots or Celery!! I've tried and they have passed them over,, You dont want to leave any trace of feeding and orange carrots stick out!
Excellent. This is what the residents of Mt Lebanon must do in order to save the deer. They love apples and cracked corn. Thank you Mt Lebo folks are are fighting this. This is the only way we can keep them away from these slaughter dens. So sad. I am sick that one deer was killed this way. Can you imagine?
Ha! I also found out the hard way that the deer do not like celery! They love the apples! (Or some other critters do!). Aldi, Sam's, Costco......cost less!!!!!
If someone who lived away from the kill parks (isn't that a pleasant name?) accidentally left food out, the deer might not go where they are supposed to go. Wouldn't that be terrible.
If I accidentally left my brown paper grocery bag on a chair or table outside, it might be so hard to see I would plum forget about it.
That would be a shame, but at least it would be up off of the ground where bugs and stuff might get into it.
I just looked on craigslist and found all sorts of neat stuff. Police scanners, deer corn. Can you imagine!
https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/grd/4904921985.html
What an interesting site.
I also see there are lots of videos on baiting deer. If I lived somewhere where I was allowed to bait deer, I might try them.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1i4azz4ckc
What an interesting mix! I think I might have most of that in the pantry!
Lots more!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2adJY7sPwA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6OX9mYVAyg
I wish I lived somewhere where I could feed deer.
I think the last poster was suggesting that one consider the browse level of the deer if leaving food but I am just trying to read deer feeding hints, what do i know?
I am not even attempting to feed deer because no deer visit my property ever and I have a large yard. They know I have dogs that would chase them off the property. Deer are smart. Smarter than Benner,...
On another note, when did the golf course shut down? Probably the moment Benner set up the corral over there. I hear it is closed until the soggy conditions let up....
I heard today that one way to keep the deer out of the corrals is by spreading hair. They won't go near it and it would be impossible for them to clean it all up.
Anyone hear about the hair trick>?
Honorable commissioners, Steve Feller, Chief McDonough:
Per the PGC special use permit #34400 I would like to call your attention to the following items:
Item 12 - THE PERMITTE WILL BE REQUIRED TO CONTINUE TO UTILIZE A LEGAL HUNTING PROGRAM, WHERE FEASABLE, TO QUALIFY FOR DEER CONTROL PERMITS IN THE FUTURE.
Is this program in place?
Item 15 – EACH DEER KILLED SHALL HAVE THE ENTRAILS REMOVED AND CARE TAKEN TO PRESERVE THE MEAT FOR CONSUMPTION. DISPOSITION OF THE CARCASSES WILL BE TO THE CHARATABLE FOOD ORGANIZATION - HUNTERS SHARING THE HARVEST FOR DISTRIBUTION TO NEEDY FAMILIES OR PERSONS, OR THE COMMISSION AS DIRECTED. ENTRAILS AND INEDIBLE PARTS OF THE DEER MUST BE DISPOSED OF PROPERLY, ANTLERS FROM ANTLERED DEER WILL BE SURRENDERED TO THE PGC.
If Hunters Sharing the Harvest is not the charitable food organization, please provide me the name of the charitable food organization who is.
Item 18 – A DAILY REPORT SHALL BE KEPT AND MAINTAINED BY THE PERMITTEE AND SUBMITTES AND SHALL INCLUDE THE TIME WHEN THE DOOR WAS SHUT ON ANY AUTORIZED TRAP, TIME OF LAST SHOT FOR EACH CAPTURE EVENT, NUMBER OF DEER THAT ESCAPED FROM THE TRAP, NUMBER OF DEER KILLED, AND NUMBER OF SHOTS FIRED MUST BE NOTED AND EXPLAINED.
Please provide me with all of the information stated above.
Item 19 – IN ADDITION TO THE DAILY REPORT, THE PERMITTE WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A REPORT CONTAINING THE NAME OF THE DEER PROCESSOR, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEER PROCESSED, A LIST OF PARTICIPATING FOOD BANKS AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POUNDS OF VENISON DISTRIBUTED TO EACH OF THE FOOD BANKS WITHIN THIRTY DAY OF COMPLETING THE DEER REMOVAL.
Please provide me with all the information stated above by the required date of 04/30/2015.
Thank you for providing me with this information
From the PG:
"Ms. Morgans said the commission will issue its next deer cull update on March 20.
"To report once a week was a decision made jointly by our manager and our commission president," she said."
The deer also like bread and bagels!
“Christina Voorhees, PhD, Certified Wildlife Biologist (R)
Ms. Voorhees has a wide variety of experience in wildlife management, but her expertise lies in the area of human dimensions in wildlife management. She has worked on human dimensions projects on the elk management project in Pennsylvania and on a deer management and control project in the Poconos. Her role in this project would be to advise on strategies to maximize public acceptance and buy-in, and minimize negative public perceptions.”
Ahhhh, I don't think this is going well for her
I see that 7:43 PM sent that email to the commission, manager, and police chief and signed it. I hope you get a response, 7:43 PM. Thank you!
Elaine
8:14. "Christina Voorhees received the Outstanding Alumnus Award. She is a 1997 graduate of the Wildlife Technology program at Penn State DuBois, and a certified wildlife biologist. Voorhees is the chief operating officer for Wildlife Specialists, LLC, a natural resource consulting company, based in Landisburg, Pennsylvania, that provides support to the energy development industry. In addition to the associate degree earned at Penn State DuBois, Voorhees also earned a bachelor degree in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech, a masters in Forest Resources from Penn State, and a Ph.D in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management from Penn State. She has provided campus Wildlife Technology students with internships, and has been a guest lecturer on campus multiple times.
Voorhees has worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Penn State, Devine, Tarbell & Associates, and CalPoly University. Her field experience includes bat mist netting, bird and herp surveys, small mammal trapping, elk and grouse radio-telemetry, and a variety of deer management projects. In addition, Christina has 10 years of experience in human dimensions research focusing on deer management, hunting, and recreational visitor use assessments.
Voorhees is an At-Large Board Member of the PA Chapter of the Wildlife Society, a member of Mammal Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey, and serves on the advisory board for the Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology Program.
Presenting the award to Voorhees was her former instructor in the Wildlife Technology Program, Joe Hummer.
"It was obvious to those of us instructing Christina that she was going to have an outstanding career," Hummer said. "She distinguished herself again and again, with so much enthusiasm and determination. It is a real pleasure to present this award to Christina."
"I feel extremely honored to get this award," said Voorhees. "It's nice to know that people here are still thinking of me and following my career path."
Voorhees noted that her husband, a forester with the State of Pennsylvania, is also a graduate of the Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology Program, and that they met on campus in their first semester. She said, "This is where the beginning of the rest of our lives took place."
PhD in tourism. LOL. Commissioners really went all out for experts.
My question to all is.... How can this program of Benners be successful when he has 5 guys plus himself against all of us who don't want this to happen. I think we can win.
He will just say in the end he was sabotaged by the anti cull idiots so it is not his fault. Bye bye Benner.
The longer he stays, the more publicity his companies get.
All of it bad, LOL
Kegs and eggs starts at 8AM at the Saloon tomorrow. All day long until 2AM Sunday.
The corn police are going to have a handful managing the crazies and protecting the corn.
What a nice night to be puttering around in the kitchen. Maybe a nice night for a walk, or a drive. So many choices.
Mt. Lebanon Slogan:
A Community with Character; However, we have no empathy, no respect for nature, no morals, no respect for Act 70 park property and no ability to control our spending.
However we do have, new comers tax, a corrupt commission, a selective enforcement police unit and deer killing corals in our parks.
We are a bunch of self centered arrogant bastards that are above all laws (even our own).
Hey; What's not to like?
9:44 pm At least I agree with you... I can't...
It saddens me to think that right now they are out there looking for deer to murder. Let's hope the deer come to our yards instead.
11:07 looking at weather radar, they are either sitting in their trucks or a blind, on a rainy night, waiting for deer that may or may not show up.
Are they paid by the hour, the day or the deer?
Are they asking themselves, "is this really how I want to spend a Friday night?"
Will they be dragging themselves back to a motel tomorrow morning while everyone else is starting a fun St. Patrick's Day.
Is hanging out in a park at night in a town away from home where half the people despise what they are doing where they want to be?
Even fellow hunters being disgusted by taking trapped deer, over bait, at night, months out of season?
Do they really respect the animals they grew up hunting for fun?
2 news of interest this week. First, the kid who stabbed the Rocco the police dog was charged with animal abuse as a part of his sentence. Also, there was a teen who was shooting near an electrical transformer and a ricocheted bullet knocked it out causing massive damage.of course, that would't happen in Lebo. Executioner Brenner says we are completely safe and his men are "able to shoot a gun"
With all the things Brenner has screwed up, surely he has breached the contract. Just wondering if that is enough to kick his sorry butt back to eastern pa.
1:11 the people brought in are shooting in an area they are completely unfamiliar with.
It is akin to grabbing someone from Mt. Lebanon and deploying them to a suburb of Baltimore to shoot, at night. These are not highly-trained Marines with all kinds of technical support, these are kids from the sticks used to hunting the most sparsely populated area of the state.
Noticed that the weekly announcements are scheduled for Fridays. Old trick when you want news buried.
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2004/09/friday_night_blights.html
Good thing bloggers work weekends.
It's Saturday morning and we are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Up and at em!
There is no doubt that Benner and his boys have violated the permit and breached the contract. However, only the game commission and the municipality, respectively, can take action on those two documents. Of course, you could point these things out to the Game Commission and the municipality. You will undoubtedly get nowhere. They don't care.
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