By MADDY VITALE
Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow is not opposed to hunting. He has family members who hunt. But he has concerns for Ocean City residents in his neighborhood who say some hunters in the marsh near 34th Street are coming too close to their homes.
“We have an issue down at 34th street with the berm. We had hunters out there yesterday,” Winslow said during the Dec. 7 City Council meeting of an area where there are dredge spoils in a mound off 34th Street. “I just want some directives for the citizens down there.”
Winslow said during the meeting that the hunters appeared to be closer than the required 450 feet away from surrounding homes.
“They were right on the top of the berm, and they have to be 450 feet away from the houses and they were much closer than that,” he said.
Vincent Grassi, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, pointed to the regulations while stating that Winslow was correct that hunters are not to be within 450 feet of property. Hunting falls under the DEP umbrella, specifically at the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
“No firearm hunter or trapper may hunt or carry a loaded firearm within 450 feet of a school playground or any building, even if unoccupied, without written permission, in possession from the landowner or lessee,” the regulations read. “No bowhunter may hunt or carry a nocked arrow within 450 feet of a school playground, or within 150 of a building, even if unoccupied, without written permission, in possession, from the landowner or lessee.”
At the Council meeting, Winslow said police told the residents that homeowners should video any hunter who appeared to be in violation of the hunting regulations.
“Nobody wanted to take any action,” Winslow said, emphasizing that it is not the residents’ job to shoot video of the hunters.
He said he is concerned about the possibility someone could get hurt.
“I just want to get directions on what is allowed, what is not allowed and what enforcement options we have,” Winslow added.
He also brought up the idea of installing a “safety zone” sign. Shooting in a safety zone is prohibited, as spelled out in the rules and regulations supplied by Grassi from the DEP.
“I don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Winslow said. “I don’t want a stray bullet … I don’t want by accident someone to get hurt.”
Mayor Jay Gillian responded to Winslow’s concerns during the meeting.
“We’ll call Fish and Wildlife,” Gillian said told Winslow.
Gillian also noted that if need be, the city would install safety zone signs to strongly remind and alert hunters that they must abide by the rules.
“If we have to, we will put signs up so they can’t say they didn’t know,” Gillian said.
For the interactive hunting map from the state Department of Environmental Protection visit: https://njdep.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=a084667d5b5f4625aad15f516346037e
