Illegal Deer Hunting Activity in Western Maryland

Illegal deer hunting topped the cases handled in recent days by the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

A trespassing complaint in early November led to charges being filed Friday against a Frederick County man.

William Michael Strange, 54, of Brunswick, received citations for hunting without a license, failing to field tag a deer before moving it, failing to report the kill to the state, failing to complete the state big game harvest record and removing the head before checking-in the deer. He also received 21 written warnings for trespassing, hunting without written permission and possessing untagged deer parts.

Officers encountered Strange when they were called to an address on Dance Hall Road in Frederick Nov. 2 about a trespasser. Strange acknowledged he crossed onto an adjoining property while trying to track a 6-point buck he shot.

During a subsequent interview, Strange told officers he killed an 8-point buck in early November without a hunting license. He gave permission for officers to enter his storage building on the property, where they found six sets of antlers and other deer parts. Strange told officers that he found most of the parts on the Dance Hall Road property, but some parts came from other areas in Frederick County. Officers seized the items for evidence.

A court date has not been set. Each violation carries a maximum fine of $1,500.

A Garrett County man was charged Friday with illegal hunting and illegal possession of a firearm by an officer investigating a complaint.

Officers responding to a complaint of someone shooting from North Hill Road near Kitzmiller found Cory Allen Lipscomb, 26, of Mountain Lake Park, hiding in the woods. He told officers that he had illegally killed a doe.

A records check indicated that Lipscomb was convicted of second-degree assault in 2009 and was not permitted to have a firearm or ammunition.

Lipscomb received citations for hunting during a closed season and hunting on private property without written permission. His rifle was seized. The weapons violations were charged through the court commissioner’s office.

The deer was donated to the landowner.

Lipscomb is scheduled to appear in Garrett County District Court Jan. 5. If found guilty of both natural resources violations, he could be fined as much as $3,000.

A Garrett County man was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant Friday by officers investigating a report of illegal hunting.

Officers were looking for someone hunting along Boiling Spring Road when they saw James Roger Keith Pennington, 24, of Kitzmiller, sitting with another man in a pickup truck on the side of the road.

After confirming that the warrant from West Virginia law enforcement authorities was still active, officers took Pennington to the Garrett County court commissioner’s office, where he was held without bond. He was turned over to the sheriff’s office for extradition.

Two Virginia men were charged with illegal striped bass fishing Thursday in Dorchester County.

Jose Isidro Alvarado, 35, of Sterling; and Juan Carlos Perez, 36, of Falls Church, were stopped by officers on surveillance near Fishing Creek Bridge on Hooper Island.

They had 12 undersized striped bass in their car.

Each man was charged with exceeding the daily creel limit and keeping undersized fish. The maximum penalty for each violation is $1,500.

They are scheduled to appear in Dorchester County District Court Feb 15.