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Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter
Caroline County – The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) continue their investigation of a hunting accident that occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at approximately 4 p.m. on private property off of Noble Road and Line Road near Federalsburg.
Shaun D. Smith, 18, of Federalsburg fell after the portable climbing tree stand he was hunting from broke. Smith was wearing a safety harness at the time of the incident that saved him from falling to the ground. However, in the process of freeing himself from the harness, Smith sustained non-life threatening injuries. He was flown to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury where he was treated and released.
Smith was charged with failure to obtain a hunting license. A court date of Jan. 9, 2009 has been scheduled for Smith in Caroline County District Court.
Carroll County – On Saturday, Nov. 15, at 11:15 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Jeffery D. Gist, 39, and Ricky S. Jones, 43, both of Hampstead with multiple hunting violations along Houcksville Road near Hampstead.
The incident started at 10:30 a.m. when NRP received a call to assist a deputy from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy had two adults and three juveniles detained for allegedly hunting on private property without permission. The two adults were armed with rifles, one of the juveniles was armed with a shotgun and the other two juveniles were armed with air rifles.
NRP charged Gist with hunting deer with a firearm during closed season; hunting on private property without written permission; and failure to obtain a hunting license. Jones was charged with hunting deer with a firearm during closed season; hunting on private property without written permission; and accompanying a junior hunter during a Junior Hunting Day while armed.
A court date of Jan. 15, 2009 has been scheduled for Gist and Jones in Carroll County District Court. The 12-year old juvenile who was armed with a shotgun was referred to the Department of Juvenile Services for failure to obtain a hunter safety certificate and failure to obtain a hunting license.
Carroll County – On Saturday, Nov. 15, at 1:15 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Christopher J. Tolson, 24, of Mount Airy with hunting deer with a firearm during closed season off of Hickory Lane near Mount Airy.
Tolson was charged after allegedly shooting a four-point buck white-tailed deer in his backyard. A court date of Jan. 15, 2009 has been scheduled for Tolson in Carroll County District Court.
Kent County – On Saturday, Nov. 15, at 7:40 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged George F. Laubach, 53, of Baltimore with hunting deer with a firearm during closed season and failure of hunter to wear safety orange on private property off of Sandy Bell Road near Rock Hall.
NRP charged Laubach after observing him allegedly hunting deer from a tree stand. During the course of the incident, NRP located and seized as evidence a loaded 12-gauge shotgun. A court date of Jan. 29, 2009 has been scheduled for Laubach in Kent County District Court.
Kent County – On Saturday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Arthur J. Stumpf, 54, of Rock Hall with hunting waterfowl with the aid of bait on private property off of Tolchester Road near Rock Hall.
A person may not hunt, or attempt to hunt, wetland game birds, by the aid of baiting, or on or over any baited area.
Baiting means the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or scattering of shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain, salt, or other feed that would lure, attract, or entice wetland game birds to, on, or over any areas where hunters are attempting to hunt them.
A court date of Jan. 29, 2009 has been scheduled for Stumpf in Kent County District Court.
November 20, 2008 Contact: Sgt. Ken Turner
410-260-8003 office
kturner@dnr.state.md.usThe 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 is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million 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 12 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