http://article.wn.com/view/201...ht_over_a_dead_deer/



2 animals shot by police and a fight over a dead deer

Duane Sedlock, Allentown Outdoorsman Examiner
October 12, 2011

In the past few days, three incidents involving police and big game animals occurred. An aggressive bear which attacked a llama was killed by state police in Blairstown, a hurt deer was shot by police in downtown Bethlehem and a fight over a dead deer in Pike County injured a Bethlehem man.

Lydia Chiappini of Blairstown Township, Warren County, NJ was asleep when she awoke to the screams of one of her llamas being attacked by a bear shortly after 1 am Sunday morning. She ran outside and got between the bear and the llama. After screaming, the bear ran away. She then went inside her house and dialed 911. Chiappini went back outside to attend to 12-year old Gus, but he wasn't in the garden.

He was in the front yard being chased by the bear. Chiappini grabbed her llama and yelled at the bear. As the bear advanced towards her, she screamed again. The bear then retreated just as a NJ state police cruiser arrived.

Lydia pulled Gus into a garage. The police went around the side of the house and shot the bear. As the bear lay dead on the ground, Chiappini kicked at the bear’s head in frustration. Unfortunately she broke her toe.



Gus is recovering from his injuries and is being treated with antibiotics. Chiappini keeps 10 llamas at her small farm. In 1997, one of her llamas was killed. A bear was suspected in the llama's death.

On Tuesday, October 11th, Bethlehem police put down a deer in the 500 block of Main Street in front of Dancing Designs Jewelry. The young buck had been hit by a car just after 10 am, and survived, but was badly injured. Police officers had to clear the area to shoot and kill the animal around 10:25 am. No one was injured and no damages were reported, police said.

This is an active time of year for deer to be moving around. Motorists are advised to be extra careful when driving their vehicles.

Also, a Bethlehem man was hospitalized after a fight over a deer carcass in Pike County. PA state police say an altercation happened in Lehman Township on Saturday, October 8th after Jason Frey, 33, of Bethlehem, says he shot a deer and tracked it to a property owned by Anthony Contino Sr., 48, Lehman Township.

As Frey approached Contino, he told him the deer was his and that a friend had shot it earlier that day. Contino told Frey to leave his property, and Frey threatened to contact the state game commission.

A fight broke out involving the two men and several others. Frey and another man, Arthur Frey, 57, had to be taken to the hospital, where both were reported to be in stable condition.

State Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser said this is the second time in a dozen years he could recall a fight over a carcass. "Years ago in northwestern Pennsylvania, someone was shot over a bear carcass," he said.

He explained the rules this way: "Let's say I'm hunting, I shoot a deer and that wounded deer makes its way onto your property," he said. "If you have a legal license to hunt on your own property and you fire the shot that kills the deer, that deer carcass is legally yours."

Feaser said the Game Commission legally cannot get involved in arguments over carcasses. "Hunters need to stay off other people's properties or get permission in advance to hunt on other people's properties."

As of today, state police are still trying to determine who was in the right in the fight over the deer carcass

Whal, it looks like old brother Frey can't fight any better than he can shoot.