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Woman plans rally to oppose Vienna wild-animal hunting preserve
By Ed Runyan
VIENNA
A Youngstown woman is planning an April 4 rally outside of the township trustees meeting to bring public awareness to a wild-animal hunting preserve proposed for the former Candywood Golf Course on Scoville North Road.
But by April 4, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife will already have decided whether to approve the application or deny it, said Jamey Emmert, a division spokeswoman. Deadline for the decision is April 1, she said.
Holly Justice of Youngstown said she helped organize the rally, set for 6 p.m., because she and others believe the preserve could present safety issues for nearby homeowners and because they oppose it on moral grounds.
“It’s an exceptionally cruel practice,” she said of putting deer or other animals in a fenced area and making them available for hunters to kill for a price.
“I’m a vegan. But I understand people like to hunt. They feed their family with it. It’s legal. It helps cull the deer population,” she said. “But I see this as having animals that are tame, that have human interaction and don’t have the instinct to flee. A lot of hunters say there’s no sport in it.”
Justice said she only learned recently such a facility had been proposed. She wishes there was a way the public could learn about such applications in advance so they could be opposed.
Nonetheless, her Facebook page, Justice Rallies, has a link to a change.org page where people can sign a petition opposing the business.
The petition is close to having 5,000 signatures. It will be sent to the Division of Wildlife, Vienna zoning officials and others.
The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, 21 WFMJ-TV, reported this week that people associated with the 280-acre facility indicated it would be for hunting white-tailed deer.
John Windau, wildlife communications manager for the Division of Wildlife, said the owner applied for the license Dec. 14, 2015, but he didn’t have the name of the person who applied.
He said the division doesn’t post information about pending applications for such licenses on its website or post information on the outcome of those applications.
He said he’s not aware of any requirements to protect the nearby landowners from errant gunfire.
“But this is a business, so like any other business, it’s the responsibility of the owner to make sure it’s done safely,” he said.
Emmert and Windau said the primary focus of the Division of Wildlife in such applications is to “protect the wildlife herd.”
The Ohio Department of Health also regulates such operations, said Erica Hawkins, communications director. Her agency’s role is to monitor the herd to ensure it is healthy, she said.