Field Notes: Aug. 6

I first came to Hancock County as a Game Protector in 1983, having spent several years with ODNR's Division of Parks and Recreation and the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. While I certainly enjoyed the other jobs, working for the Division of Wildlife just seemed to be a perfect fit. During that time, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people under many circumstances, and I settled into the area quickly. It began to feel like home, even though home was nearly 200 miles to the east. I got to know the Sheriff's deputies, local troopers, police personnel, State Park Officers and all of the folks working at the Hancock Park District; people that might come in handy if I needed any kind of help or vice versa. One of the young men I met in '91 was a County Park Ranger named Mark Weihrauch. I'd actually tried to meet him a little earlier in my career, but that's another story — one of his favorites. The Liberty-Benton graduate certainly liked working for the Hancock Park District. Even so, he was always full of questions about my job, a situation that wasn't unusual for a lot of people. As time passed, he asked if it was possible if he could "ride-along" with me while I did my job. I'd grown to trust his judgement and agreed. By this time my title had become Wildlife Officer, a change in semantics only. I knew that Weirauch's questions weren't out of curiosity, but rather of a fishing nature. He was hoping to someday land a job with the Division and was hoping to gain some insights from me. I tried to show him a broad range of the duties expected, including working deer gun season, night patrol, attending sportsmen club meetings, fishing and hunting license compliance, litter enforcement and a range of more mundane tasks. He seemed to be just the type of person that could transition well into becoming a Wildlife Officer. His first application and interview didn't quite land him the job and his disappointment was palpable. I felt then — and still do today — that he deserved the job. As we used to say back then, "That and a quarter and you'll have enough to call home." He'd gotten to know the division's district staff and we all encouraged him to try again. His confidence may have been a little shaken, but ours was not. In '98, he got the job. As a member of the training team for the last ten years, I soon watched him work through orientation and training, cementing my opinion of his abilities. Fate and luck often hold hands and that was indeed the case for the timing of Weirauch's hiring. A lifetime Hancock County resident with a young wife working at Marathon and a nearly new baby boy, the relocation typical of a freshly-hired officer would be quite a family event. It happened that I was promoted, which placed Hancock County on the list of available areas needing a new officer. He was a perfect fit. He spent the next five years assigned to Hancock County and proved himself quite capable of the task. He applied to become an investigator; the division's term for a detective, in about 2003. He spent the next 19 years working in both Northwest Ohio and later with special operations investigations. Weihrauch was added to the Officer Training Team and assisted in preparing new and existing Wildlife Officers for their jobs. He was a solid performer regardless of the task he was handed and was a major asset in developing information that would lead to the closure of many landmark wildlife investigations. Now, after 31 years of protecting our natural resources, Weihrauch has called it quits. It was time to retire and spend more time with his family and friends. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for a job well done. "There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow men. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well." — Walter Reuther Along the Way The American bald eagle was chosen by the Continental Congress of 1782 to be one of our national emblems of the United States. In 1940, the Bald Eagle Protection Act became law which protected the big bird from unwarranted destruction. It's been amended several times since; the law making it illegal for anyone to kill or taking live bald or golden eagles which includes taking or possessing feathers nests, eggs or any part of an eagle. While it's true that special permits may be provided by the Secretary of the Interior, they aren't easily obtained and are not common. Violating these regulations can be a big mistake, but every year somebody feels the need to take the law into their own hands only to have them severely slapped. Recently, a Dover, Ohio, man found this out. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, 79-year-old David B. Huff shot and killed a bald eagle with a rifle on Oct. 7, 2021. In June, he entered a plea of guilty to the charges after an agreement was made concerning potential penalties. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ohio Division of Wildlife investigated the incident and, according to documents submitted to the court, Huff owns farmland and several fields in Tuscarawas County. He routinely conducts inspections of the land for the presence of pests and rodents. During one of these inspections, Huff shot and killed the bald eagle. After killing the eagle, he picked up the animal and discarded it in the tree line of a bordering field. As part of the plea, Huff agreed to make restitution to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, in care of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $10,000 and pay an additional fine of $10,000. He also agreed to a five-year prohibition from hunting and the destruction of the rifle and ammunition seized during the investigation. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 11, 2022. Step Outside •Now through Aug. 31: Sign up for the Hancock Park District's Hunting-with-Permission Lottery. Residents and landowners of Hancock County can participate in the District's Hunting-with-Permission Lottery program provided in cooperation with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Winners will be announced at that time and will be notified by email. You must register online at HancockParks.com under "Park News" between Aug. 1-31 — only five entries per person. Winners will be chosen from these categories: 5 Deer/ Gun Permits; 5 Deer/ Muzzleloader Permits; 10 Small Game Permits; 10 Deer/ Archery Permits; 5 Youth Hunt Permits. To be eligible, youth must be 17 years of age or younger for the upcoming youth season. For information, visit HancockParks.com under "Park News" or call 419-425-7275 Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. •Today-Tomorrow: Annual 2-Day Muzzle Loader Competition, patched round-ball only. Public welcome. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Black Swamp Muzzle Loaders, Portage Township 19, 1/4 mile west of County 139. Contact: Kevin Thomas, 419-722-5063 •Tomorrow: Trap Shoot, 1 p.m. Mount Blanchard Gun Club, 21655 Delaware Township 186. •Thursday-Friday: Trap and Skeet, open to the public. 5 p.m. UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. •Aug. 14: 5-Stand Shotgun Shoot, open to the public. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. Open to public, no teams required. Contact George Bruen, 734-344-8299. Breakfast available. •Aug. 20: Bratwurst Sporting Clays Fun Shoot, Elkhorn Lake Hunt Club, 4146 Klopfenstein Rd., Bucyrus. includes 100-rounds on the sporting clays course. Gourmet bratwurst lunch is included for the total price of $70. Tickets for prize drawing for each target broken. Registration starts at 8 am. Shotgun start 10:00 am. Visit: www.elkhornlakehuntclub.com. •Aug. 21: 75-Bird Trap Shoot, practice opens 11:30 a.m., program begins 12:30 p.m. UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. Public welcome. Contact: Sandy Thomas, sandthm@aol.com. •Aug. 27-28: Annual 2-Day Archery Match-3D mixed animal targets. Field and Stream Bowhunters; 11400 Allen Township 109, Findlay. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Contact: Harold Spence, 419-423-9861. Abrams is a retired wildlife officer supervisor for the state Division of Wildlife in Findlay. He can be reached at P.O. Box 413, Mount Blanchard, OH 45867-0413 or via email at jimsfieldnotes@aol.com