Hunting illegally in watershed results in fines and forfeitures
03/15/07
By Pat van den Beemt
Two hunters from Freeland and one from Baldwin were found guilty of
violating state hunting laws in Baltimore County District Court Feb. 27.
Charges against the three men were filed by Maryland's Natural
Resources Police.
According to a Natural Resources Police news release, Bradley Kahl,
23, of Baldwin, was charged with possession of a weapon in a state park.
Kahl received probation before judgment and was ordered to perform 25
hours of community service. He also had to forfeit his shotgun and
ammunition.
Steven Knouse, 43, and David Stambaugh, 40, both of Freeland, were
found guilty of using a rifle to hunt deer in a county that is
restricted to shotguns, hunting without written permission and failure
to wear fluorescent orange.
Stambaugh was also found guilty of hunting without a license.
Knouse was fined $750 and required to forfeit his .308-caliber rifle.
His hunting license was suspended for two years.
Stambaugh was fined $650 and his hunting license was suspended for
two years.
Natural Resources police charged the two men at 8 a.m. Nov. 25.
Officers were on foot patrol on Loch Raven Reservoir property owned by
Baltimore City.
Natural Resources police spokesman Sgt. Ken Turner did not know the
exact area in which the men were hunting, but said it was most likely
off the beaten path.
"We would have charged them with safety violations if they were near
roads or homes," he said. "We take these and all violations seriously."
Turner said rifle use in Baltimore County is prohibited because of
the velocity of the weapon.
Shotguns are allowed in certain areas by permit because the pellets
or shotgun slugs do not travel as far as ammunition fired from a rifle.
E-mail Pat van den Beemt at Pat van den
Beemt@patuxent.com
