Deer

Charles Samuel "Sam" Poole Sr., a Carroll County butcher whose Sam's Deer Processing in Finksburg has been a destination for lucky hunters for decades, died Saturday from complications after heart surgery at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. The longtime Louisville, Carroll County, resident was 65. The son of a butcher and a homemaker, Mr. Poole was born in Gaithersburg and raised in Sykesville. He attended Sykesville High School. Mr. Poole began his butchering career when he was 16, working at small grocery stores and butcher shops.

The recent article about rules and regulations at Loch Raven Reservoir ("Think before you leap," June 25) was very informative and was an important reminder for citizens using the reservoir. The public needs to abide by the rules in order to preserve our drinking water and for safety reasons, too. Bikers, hikers, nature photographers, birdwatchers and any other groups or individuals need to work together to support the laws put into place so that we can enjoy our beautiful Loch Raven in a respectful manner.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one's there to hear it, that's fine with me. I had that thought Sunday morning as I drove through a state park that few Marylanders know about or ever will visit. In fact, I'm not going to tell you where it is. Nothing personal, friends. I just don't think the place is ready for a herd of human beings. In fact, it might never be. You could drive to this park from downtown Baltimore in fewer than 90 minutes, assuming you know where to look.

A woman who was riding along a trail at the Deer Creek Preservation Area in Street was knocked off her horse after it was attacked by a pit bull early last week. The attack was the second in this month in Harford County involving a pit bull and other animals. The woman, 35, of the 300 block of East Jarrettsville Road in Forest Hill, told police she and a friend, were riding their horses in the Deer Creek trail around 6 p.m. May 15 when they saw two men and a young girl, who had two pit bull terriers with them, walking toward them from the opposite direction.

Bringing up deer. Does are pretty good at it, as the statewide population of 230,000 would indicate. But in most cases, elected officials might be better off not bringing up deer at all. The beautiful critters with the soulful brown eyes can still be the third rail of wildlife politics. Just ask Baltimore County Council member Todd Huff, one of the authors of the law to thin the herd in local parks. Huff and council colleague David Marks took the buck by the antlers when it became apparent that deer were treating county lands like an all-you-can-eat salad bar. "We had a major problem.

I was confused by your report that Baltimore County supposedly approved a "deer hunt bill" ("Deer hunts approved in Balto. County parks," May 3). That could not be further from the truth. In fact, the bill was stricken of any and all language implying the approval of hunting and replaced it with the term "deer cooperator. " It is like comparing apples and oranges: Hunters can maim and wound deer, but a deer cooperator as defined in the bill is required to kill the animals instantly and humanely with a single shot through the brain.

Controlled deer hunts can take place in certain Baltimore County parks, but under tighter conditions than originally proposed, according to a bill approved Monday by the County Council. Seeking to frame the bill as part of a broader strategy to control the overflowing deer population, council members deleted some references to hunting from the bill in favor of "deer cooperator program. " County officials will also explore other methods of deer control including sterilization. The bill clearly states that it is not intended to allow open season in county parks — requiring any hunt to be conducted at night under the supervision of the state Department of Natural Resources.

Baltimore County Council members are looking to amend a bill to permit controlled deer kills in certain public parks, but critics say the proposed changes don't go far enough. Council members said the changes are being formulated, but references to hunting have been deleted in favor of a "wildlife management program. " Other amendments would require the county to also explore alternative methods of deer control — including sterilization — and would clearly state that the bill would not allow open season in county parks.

The proposal by 3rd District County Council member Todd Huff to allow controlled deer hunting in some county parks is expected to be discussed at Tuesday’s County Council work session in Towson. Huff, a Republican who represents the northern part of the county, introduced the bill April 4, and at the time said deer are spreading Lyme disease, destroying vegetation and causing major car accidents. Republican and 5th District Councilman David Marks, who represents Towson and Perry Hall, is co-sponsoring the bill.