Maryland Agricultural Secretary Charged With Baiting Migratory Birds.

[tallen702]

Maryland Ag Secretary Charged With Hunting Violation

Maryland Ag Secretary Joseph Bartenfelder has been charged with a bird hunting violation.

www.lancasterfarming.com

Short of it is that they were hunting over newly broadcast seed at a farm. One of the party was also using a shotgun without the magazine plug.

 

[jrumann59]

That story is for the birds. Doesn't there have to some foreknowledge that the field was seeded.

 

[Doco Overboard]

Dumb Asses.
Wonder if they'll get off becuase of who they are.
Ag Sec not knowing a location was baited?
Yeah right.
He probably knew a judge that used to waterfowl hunt at one time.

Or maybe one that could get him or those young men off real easy.
Fuc em all, say I.

Maybe the knew Ag sec will be from AA or PG county?

 

[traveller]

Lol. Someone pizzed off the game warden.

 

[welder516]

None of this surprises me, government workers and officials love power to do as they please. And when you don't play the game they will send the hounds out.
I say sprinkle the guy with bird seed and let the birds peck him to death or maybe just crap all over him. Government and these hose bags need to be fired and make government smaller and better in the process

 

[gtodave]

Lol. Someone pizzed off the game warden.

Or pizzed off a neighbor. Someone had to call the game warden

I'd be pissed if all the birds were flying next door and I knew that there was bait there.

 

[davsco]

ooopsie

 

[Bertfish]

Maryland Ag Secretary Charged With Hunting Violation

Maryland Ag Secretary Joseph Bartenfelder has been charged with a bird hunting violation.

www.lancasterfarming.com

Short of it is that they were hunting over newly broadcast seed at a farm. One of the party was also using a shotgun without the magazine plug.

They tried to railroad a guy in Darlington years ago for this exact thing. DNR has assholes too just like everywhere else

 

[Doco Overboard]

I’d say the real asshat is the one who got caught baiting migratory birds.
Not the guys enforcing wildlife regulations.

 

[Bertfish]

I’d say the real asshat is the one who got caught baiting migratory birds.
Not the guys enforcing wildlife regulations.

He was hunting NEAR a field that had corn on it. You'll never know if he knew the field was seeded but him knowing or not knowing are both plausible given the physical separation. If he was in the field I'd say it's a slam dunk.

One guy without a plug. Could've been a legitimate accident but if you're a regular hunter there's little excuse. Check your gear.

Sometimes the difference between a hunter and a poacher is just an opinion.

 

[mauser58]

The game warden should watch his back. But these people in position are exempt from breaking the laws I thought.

 

[traveller]

Or pizzed off a neighbor. Someone had to call the game warden

I'd be pissed if all the birds were flying next door and I knew that there was bait there.

It would be particularly pizzed off if my neighbor was a government big shot doing it. Of course, the fish cop is between a rock and a hard place. Ticket the cabinet secretary vs. showing up in the Baltimore Sun.

 

[Doctor_M]

I was on the short-list for an appointment to Deputy Secretary of Environment under the Ehrlich administration. The process of going through a political appointment review was an educational one, but they let it be known that you need to watch everything you do so that you do not wind up being an embarrassment to the administration. Get caught littering, it will be front page news... unpaid parking fines, front page news... late library books will be noticed. The Secretary acted stupidly.

 

[pbharvey]

He was hunting NEAR a field that had corn on it. You'll never know if he knew the field was seeded

I’m going to say that if you are hunting on property that is baited then you’re guilty even if you aren’t shooting right over the bait pile.

 

[Pale Ryder]

80 yds away from the baited field would seem to be a basis for defense.

 

[Bertfish]

I’m going to say that if you are hunting on property that is baited then you’re guilty even if you aren’t shooting right over the bait pile.

He wasn't on the bait.

I realize what I'm about to say is a crazy extension of this example. Let's say you're on 200 acres of farm. One field is seeded. You don't hunt that field. Were you a master baiter? I'd say no

 

[outrider58]

I'm gonna wait and see how this shakes out. I know a couple guys who were hammered by DNR for baiting turkey during the spring season. What it turned out to be, the guy who lives on the farm they were hunting IN THE WOODS, had deer feeders still up IN THE FIELDS from the previous deer season. His mistake(he and I were actually fishing out on the bay that day) and when DNR sneaked onto the property, they shook one of the feeders and a few remaining corn kernels fell to the ground. There were no batteries in the feeders. DNR slammed those boys for all they could. Come court day, all but one stupid little charge were dropped. I think one guy had left his wallet with his license in his truck.
So, let's just wait and see...

 

[jr88]

I don't know if this is a real violation or not and think they should be afforded the benefit of the doubt. It does seem strange how something like this can ruin a man's career when you compare it to folks that run the nation and the things they do. I guess salt of the earth farmers who enjoy hunting are judged more strictly than people who are ruining our country.

 

[Doco Overboard]

He was hunting NEAR a field that had corn on it. You'll never know if he knew the field was seeded but him knowing or not knowing are both plausible given the physical separation. If he was in the field I'd say it's a slam dunk.

One guy without a plug. Could've been a legitimate accident but if you're a regular hunter there's little excuse. Check your gear.

Sometimes the difference between a hunter and a poacher is just an opinion.

My take is, It's a slam dunk.
Hunting over or near a POND thats under investigation, is not hunting near a cornfield. Its hunting a baited area. The article indicates a CORNFIELD was 80 yards away.
You can shoot ducks/geese all day long in a corn field last time I checked.
Certainly the last time I shot some geese was in one.
Difference is, baited area.

This bunch got popped hunting a baited pond sounds like to me. Thats all there is to it.
Magic seeds and all that according to Lancaster Times Waterfowl scoop squad.
Happens every year. Jack and the bean stalk fairy-tale stuff. Nobody knew anything.

The shameful part to me is, compromising a game officers investigative measures and an organizations integrity simultaneously, by being an AG SEC with your pants down, engaged in such a stupid venture.
Hookers and Booze maybe, Shoplifting, but not ducks.

Sometimes, the difference between a winner and a loser, is expecting better results while not putting more effort into something thats easy to do in the first place.

Hunting and poaching regulations are not an opinion, they-re clearly defined, written and easy to understand for all.

 

[newmuzzleloader]

I can see DNR trying to bust balls over corn spilled in a field but I missed the part about the baited pond when the rest of the article talked about baiting fields. That's a little hard to defend, "I didn't know corn spilled into the pond when unloading the combine" just doesn't have the right sound.