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Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter
Calvert County – On Monday, February 12, at 5 p.m., NRP charged David C. Scholten, 51, of Mechanicsville with catching oysters for noncommercial purposes during restricted time. Scholten was allegedly harvesting oysters with shaft tongs in the Patuxent River near Solomons. NRP seized one half bushel of oysters from Scholten’s vessel and returned them to the waters of the state.
A Maryland resident may take up to one bushel of oysters per day without obtaining a license, if the oysters are for his own use and consumption, and not for sale or marketing. The season for catching oysters for noncommercial purposes is from October 1 through March 31, Monday through Friday from sunrise until 3 p.m. and Saturday from sunrise until 12 p.m. A person may catch oysters for noncommercial purposes only by hand, rake, shaft tong, or diving with or without scuba equipment.
Scholten has a May 2 trial date scheduled in Calvert County District Court.
Somerset County – On Thursday, February 15, at 3:42 p.m., NRP investigated a hunting accident that occurred on private property off of Route 13 near Westover. Clayton C. Green, 64, of Westover was struck below the left eye by a shotgun pellet while rabbit hunting with another individual on the property. The two were hunting together at approximately 2:15 p.m. when a rabbit ran between the two hunters. The other individual, whose name is not being released at this time, allegedly shot at the rabbit. The two men drove to the Princess Anne Volunteer Fire Department for medical treatment. Princess Anne VFD transported Green to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. NRP continues to investigate the incident.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police want to remind hunters and shooters of the following firearms safety tips:
Be sure of your target and what is beyond it before you pull the trigger; know identifying features of the game you hunt.
Never shoot at flat, hard surfaces.
Never point a gun at anything you don’t want to shoot or kill. Do not play with a firearm.
Treat every gun as if it were loaded. Watch the muzzle! Prepare to control the direction of the muzzle even if you stumble.
Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions and that you have only ammunition of the proper size for the gun you are carrying.
Unload guns when not in use. Take down or have actions open. Guns should be carried in cases to the shooting area.
Never climb a tree or jump a ditch with a loaded gun. Never pull the gun toward you by the muzzle.
Store guns and ammunition separately, beyond the reach of children and careless adults. Use trigger locks.
Avoid alcoholic beverages and medications that cause drowsiness before or during use of a firearm.
February 16, 2007The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 280 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov