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Anti Deer-Hunt Figure Arrested For Tampering With the Bait
Matthew Hersh
An East Windsor woman was arrested for contaminating a deer bait station at the Mountain Lakes Reservation in Princeton Township.
According to Township Police, the woman, Nancy Bowman, 62, was spotted by an employee of White Buffalo, the Connecticut-based wildlife management firm Tuesday, January 6 around 4:30 p.m. Ms. Bowman was reportedly spraying an over-the-counter chemical on the feed that would deter deer from approaching the bait.
Capt. Peter Savalli of the Princeton Township Police Department said Ms. Bowman had acted on her own and was not necessarily representing the Mercer County Deer Alliance, an organization that has brought suit against the Township in the past regarding its deer management program. Ms. Bowman is also president of the organization.
"She did not agree with the culling of the deer herd, but she potentially put herself in harm's way," Capt. Savalli said.
Ms. Bowman was issued a summons stating she violated the local ordinance prohibiting contamination of a bait station. If convicted, Ms. Bowman could receive up to $1,250 in fines, 90 days in jail, or 90 days of community service.
She was released on her own recognizance. Mercer County Deer Alliance Attorney Falk Engel, who has represented the alliance in several suits against the Township, said that the organization's stance has been steadfast in opposing the netting and bolting methods of deer culling, calling them "barbaric."
Now in its fourth year, the Township's deer management program seeks to reduce the deer herd to approximately 350 by the end of the five-year program. Currently, the program is running a year ahead of schedule.
Ms. Bowman, whose court date is pending, will appear in Princeton Township Municipal Court.
