NRP Blotter

Fourteen hunters in Western Maryland were charged in the opening days of spring turkey season with hunting over bait.

In Garrett County, Patricia Kay Demoss, 58, and Donald Dorsey Pyles, 64, both of Oakland, were charged on April 18 after officers found them hunting near two corn feeders at 6:30 a.m. They are scheduled to appear in Garrett District Court on May 22. Hunting over bait carries a maximum fine of $1,500.

Later that same day, officers charged four hunters on private property near Barton for hunting over cracked corn: Charles Herman Leiss Jr., 59, Donna Kaye Walter, 47, and David Paul Walter, 52, all of Baltimore. Another member of the hunting party, Brian Matthew Leiss, 35, of Rosedale, was charged with hunting over bait and hunting without a license, which also carries a maximum fine of $1,500. All four hunters are scheduled to appear in Garrett District Court on July 23.

In Allegany County, Dale William Durbin, 53, of Cumberland, was charged at 6:30 a.m. on the opening day of the season. He also received warnings for hunting turkey with an unplugged shotgun, hunting on private land without written permission and failing to place a confirmation number on his Big Game Harvest Record. Durbin is scheduled to appear in Allegany District Court on June 9.

In a separate incident, Shawn Edward Golden, 34, of Frederick, was charged with illegal baiting and with placing bait in a Chronic Wasting Disease Area. He is scheduled to appear in Allegany District Court on June 11. If found guilty of both charges, he could be fined as much as $750.

In Washington County, Zachary Hunter Clipp, 19, of Clear Spring was charged at 7 a.m. on opening day after officers saw him in an area that had been baited with corn before the start of the season. He is schedule to appear in district court on June 9.

Near the Gambrills State Park campground in Frederick County, officers found two hunters positioned near decoys and two baited areas on April 18.

Michael Lee Crouse, 41 and Harry Lee Wachter, 71, both of Frederick, received citations. Watcher also was charged with failing to carry a second form of identification and received a warning for hunting within a safety zone.

Officers on patrol in Carroll County before the turkey season started found four areas strewn with whole-kernel corn. Returning on opening day, they encountered Brinley Robert Fried Jr., of Dundalk walking out of the woods toward his truck.

Fried told officers the corn was for deer and later said he had scattered corn on the ground two weeks before the season. Guided by Fried to his blind, officers found whole-kernel corn and turkey scratch marks in the dirt. Under state law, all corn must be removed from a hunting area for 10 days before the area is hunted.

In addition to the baiting charge, Fried was cited for hunting turkeys with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, an offense carrying a maximum fine of $1,500.

Fried is scheduled to appear in Carroll District Court on July 16.

Officers in Frederick County responding to a complaint, located an area that was baited for Turkey.  Officers observed, Kenneth Radford Sweeney, 55 of Thurmont, MD spreading sunflower seeds near his hunting blind.  Officers issued citations to Sweeney for hunting wild turkey with the aid of bait.

In addition to the baiting charge, Sweeney was cited for hunting turkeys with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, an offense carrying a maximum fine of $1,500.

Sweeney is scheduled to appear in Frederick County District Court on June 18.