Letter to the Editor: New Colts Neck Hunting Ordinance Change is a Danger for Residents

This letter was sent to the editor in regard to the recent hunting ordinance changes that were passed in Colts Neck last week by the town council, reducing the required distance from target for crossbow hunters to only 150 feet.

I was disappointed that the committee seemed predisposed to relax the deer hunting boundaries before it properly surveyed the collective will of regular non-farm homeowners. These homeowners resoundingly carry the tax base and population. I submitted strong evidence, both last year and at this meeting by the petitions that about 90% of residents or more disapproved of the recreational, non-resident, 21-week long hunting method. Although the same percentage of folks agreed that we have to solve the deer problem, none wanted this mega-security breach as the solution.

There are about 3400 homes in Colts Neck and many border on a handful of farms. These homeowners will be left to wonder things like: what if the little farm next door to me decides to enterprise, like some farms in real rural areas, and have non-resident paying hunters, carrying permission letters, blasting away for 21 weeks a year? Is my five-acre neighbor going to board transient hunters who’ll be walking around connecting yards day and night? Will they resist shooting a trophy deer if it’s over the borderline if even the border is defined?

The people I spoke to handed me 2 arrows shot right at their homes and both landed very close. One landed just 20 feet away from where I often see a sweet 2-year-old named Charlie play every day. Another petitioner owning a 100+ acre farm told me an arrow was shot from a pickup truck at a deer grazing on her front lawn and landed just a few yards from her den window. These infractions were under the old hunting parameters. I imagine it will worsen with the new ones.

There are other ways to deal with this problem, but I feel all roads led to this outcome no matter what was revealed or said. At the outset of the meeting, the Colts Neck mayor immediately went on offense, discrediting former mayor Rose Ann Scotti as nothing but noise. When the meeting opened for public comment, he mandated that speakers state the number of “find a solution” mini-meetings the speaker attended between the two council votes that spanned about 18 months, before they could begin speaking. This was stated as if it was a previously mandated responsibility of the residents to haggle with the five appointed members of that deer committee on an ongoing basis. Those in opposition stated our reasons 18 months ago and nothing has changed except for the worsening illegal hunting practices. The committee appointees consisted of three hunting advocates and two others. One of the hunting members had threatened to sue our town to relax hunting distances at a previous Township Committee meeting and was on CBS evening news concurrently (02/27/2013) showing off some 20 trophy deer heads saying “he got them here” - a marquee Colts Neck didn’t need. One of the other deer committee appointees was an executive of the Washington DC Division of the Humane Society, who resigned, in anger, saying that one of the Township Committee members, and chairman of the “deer population solution committee”, who is an avid deer hunter, was predisposed to the transient hunter solution only.

I did not attend the meetings but was briefed on the proceedings by the other non-hunting member and I concluded the inevitable result after just two briefings. I didn’t appreciate the Fish and Wildlife representative who attended receiving a special privilege to speak while imparting a “be happy with what you get” message, as if she was speaking to children. She did not point out that a 16-year-old hunter, possibly immature and inexperienced, can be accompanied by an 18-year-old and then be allowed to shoot a crossbow from such a short distance. She was too busy assuring us that hunters will always climb a tree and ask a ten point buck to wait exactly at that legal distance.

In an earlier meeting with Mr. Bowden, the Town Council Administrator, I shared everything I had- both opinion and fact, and he passed it on to the Township Committee. My suggestions included the idea that certain farms should be “No Discharge” due to many small parcel homes backing up to them. Also, 150 feet from any occupied structure should be changed to 150 feet from any structure, including pools, sheds and swing-sets, many of which are on the property lines of 150 foot back yards. I told him about the three arrow incidents mentioned above and about the unchecked lawlessness that had occurred in Green Acres. I told him that 95% of my petitioners gladly signed it, with only three out of the 70 refusing, pointing to the fact that the majority tax base and population disagrees with looser hunting regulations.

At the meeting, a woman suggested using sharp shooters that would cost approximately $45.00 a year per home. Adding sharp shooters from White Buffalo to the status quo would increase the cull by 62%, instead of risking the danger of relaxing hunting parameters. The committee ignored this. No deer crossing signs have been added in many years, even though they cite the risk of car vs. deer accidents on the town roads. The added liability risk to the town and possibly even themselves of relaxed hunting regulations, if anyone were hurt or violated by the added non-residents, should be a concern, but they figure the risk-reward in bucking the collective will of the majority is warranted. They are in charge and surely have a better picture than I. We shall see.

I have enclosed some photos that I took some photos I took showing two tree stands the town had removed from Rimwood Lane green acres this week. Both were on illegal lands. Another photo shows a farm, bordering 1- 1 and 1/4 acre homes. These photos illustrate also how close a 150 foot cross bow shot would be to where children play. The last photo is of a deer that walked into our yards with an arrow only a few inches into her flesh depicting a very long or weak shot.

In closing I respect my Township Committee and the pressure they shoulder. Going forward I will assist if they ask.

Pat Caputi

To see the photos, go to the Marlboro-Colts Neck Patch Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/MarlboroColtsNeckNJPatch