1. Hunting subcomm proposal - Laserfiche WebLink

Hunting Subcommittee Minutes--February 1, 2005 1 ORCHARD GLEN/FOREST RIVER HUNTING SUBCOMMITTEE PUBLIC INPUT MEETING FEBRUARY 1, 2005--7:00 PM 1, MEETING TO ORDER A meeting of the Orchard Glen/Forest River Hunting Subcommittee was called to order by Scott Wagner, Subcommittee Chairman, on Tuesday, February 1, 2005, at 7:00 PM in the Reineke Fine Arts Center at NDSU Campus. The following committee members were present: Ken Pawluk, Scott Wagner, Chad Peterson, Bryan Johnson and John Miller. Also present were Don Rudnick, Sheriff; Birch Burdick, State's Attorney; Keith Berndt, County Engineer; Randy Kreil, North Dakota Game and Fish Department; concerned citizens; and members of the local media. 2. ORCHARD GLEN/FOREST RIVER BACKGROUND Keith Berndt, County Engineer, gave a presentation on the history of county-owned land in Orchard Glen and Forest River Subdivisions. The county owns 30 acres in Orchard Glen and 32 acres in Forest River. Stanley Township owns approximately 17 acres in Forest River. He said surveys were sent to over 60 residents and over 40 were returned. The responses were evenly split between those opposed and those in favor of bow hunting on the land. 3. SAFETY ISSUES DISCUSSED Donald Rudnick, County Sheriff, provided information on vehicle and motorcycle accidents and said countywide, approximately 60 car crashes occur each year involving deer. Five deer/vehicle accidents have occurred in the past two years in the Orchard Glen and Forest River areas. He said accidents may be reduced by either lowering speed limits or harvesting the animals. 4. NORTH DAKOTA GAME & FISH INFORMATION Randy Kreil, Chief of Wild Life Division, provided information on bow hunting and a recommended approach, if approved by the committee. He said programs are in place on land owned by the City of Bismarck and by the Mandan Agricultural Research Station. Both programs have rules and restrictions in place and appear to work well. Mr. Wagner asked about the safety aspects and how hunters and citizens would co-exist, if hunting is allowed. Mr. Kreil said the state has never had a recorded accident involving bow hunters and citizens. The sport is site specific, with shots being taken within 30 yards. Mr. Pawluk asked about other options to control deer populations. Mr. Kreil said the best way to control them is to harvest the animals. He said options such as contraceptives or trapping and transporting are not preferred because of possible undue stress on the animals. Mr. Miller asked how much land Bismarck owns and Mr. Kreil said the city owns 300 acres but only certain parts are open to bow hunting. Mr. Miller asked about the possibility of sharp shooters being hired to control deer populations. Mr. Kreil said sharp shooters are expensive to hire and the other concern is what to do with the animals after they are killed.