Jason Miller has become a recognizable face to the employees of the Johnson County Park and Recreation Department. Over the past six months, the founder of Bite Club of KC has been the most outspoken and visible activist protesting the deer cull in Shawnee Mission Park. He's testified at public meetings and demonstrated in various dramatic forms at the park gates.
But last week, he took his opposition to a more personal level.
A little after 8 p.m. on Thursday, Miller visited the Olathe home of Michael Meadors, director of Johnson County Parks and Rec.
Miller says he simply delivered a "Notice of Dangerous Condition," a two-page list of Bite Club's concerns about safety precautions during the hunt at Shawnee Mission Park. Among the list of complaints, the letter alleges that a lack of warning signs and inadequate security personnel are putting area residents at risk of "physical trauma and death" from deer hunters.
"He answered the door and he recognized me," Miller says of the encounter with Meadors. "I said, 'Hello, Mike, I've got something for you to read,' and handed him the envelope and left. Then, about an hour later, the police showed up at my house."
An officer with the Olathe Police Department was dispatched to Meador's house at 8:30 p.m. According to the police report, Meadors explained Miller's affiliation as a "radical animal rights activist" and showed the cops the envelope. "The letter was not threatening in any way," the police report concluded.
Miller says he wasn't the one who left the head on Meadors' doorstep and, though he supports, he does not participate in the brand of underground activism that breaks the law. "My conscience and my police record are both clean. I don't solve my problems with violence -- Meadors and Johnson County do," he told me in an e-mail. "Accusing me of vandalizing his childrens' cars and delivering a deer head to his house is absurd. While I make no secret of the fact that I consider all of those responsible for the deer slaughter to be murderers, I am no vigilante and I would have no reason to single out Michael Meadors."
Randy Knight, community relations manager for JoCo Parks and Rec, didn't comment on the personal visit, but did give me a statement about the safety concerns raised in Miller's letter. "The issues of concern Mr. Miller listed in his Notice of Dangerous Condition were taken into consideration in the process of developing the deer management program," he says.
Don't expect the protest to die down because of a police report, though, Miller says. Last week, the Bite Club founder sent e-mail alerts about the Shawnee Mission deer cull to more than 2 million animal rights activists around the country. He also says the cops don't worry him. "The more they try to intimidate me," he says. "The harder I fight."
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En cualquier caso, no estoy de acuerdo con la "caza" de ning�imal, independientemente del caso �e y otro semejante, da igual, porque haya superpoblaci�no podemos matar a los animales, e ir invadiendo d�a d�su habitat por puro entretenimiento, vestimenta, calzado etc, etc, como Vegana que soy "Repudio" la crueldad y muerte en todos los animales (no humanos).....
Just to get these facts straight, Mr. Meadors did not call them redicals and has been nothing but polite to them. He is not the person who decided this course and singeling him out is uncalled for.
Park and Rec are all about valuing nature and nature's creature. They are trying to do the best thing they can.
there is an over population problem IN THAT AREA. it's not a widespread problem. the rest of the country is not overrun by deer. get out of your little JOCO bubble and you might realize that.
First, the thing about it is that the area had an opportunity 10 years ago to begin humane deer population controls. Or, at the very least, they could have managed property sales and home building in the area to avoid a conflict of interest, ie: humans encroaching on deer habitat.
Secondly, a NON-Lethal option was offered to Shawnee Death Park. It was viable and economically sound. However, the board wanted to appease the hunters so they may "enjoy" their "sport".
Lastly, if deer are an "overpopulation" problem - then let us stop breeding more! There are over 15,000 deer and elk breeding facilities in the US.
http://www.nadefa.org/images/s...
North American Deer & Elk Farming Association
Now, either there IS a deer "overpopulation" problem - in which case we need to STOP MAKING MORE! OR
There isn't in which case we can cease brutally slaying them. It can't be BOTH!
This is ridiculous. Mule deer are "beautiful" in their own right, but throwing a fit over a deer cull (which I can assure you, living in western Kansas is highly necessary) is moronic at best.
People living in the KC metro area would do well to leave their comfort zones in yuppie-ville Johnson County and come out west and see how much we love the "beautiful deer", especially when they run up in front of us on I-70 at 80 miles an hour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
this is a link to a short video put together by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks contrasting overpopulated deer with healthy deer. They specifically show the SMP deer and healthier deer that live in areas where there aren't as many other deer to compete with. It's worth a look.
I fully support Mr. Millers effort to save the deer. Its the right and obligation of every citizen to do what is best for animals. I have a solution for this issue and Johnson County should follow it, it is a societal mandate. Mr. Miller is obviously with strong views. The county must take the money it is going to use to kill the beautiful deer, give it to Mr Miller. Mr. Miller can then find a place to move the deer to, make the arraingments, round up the deer and move them. He should have no problem with putting his money where his mouth is and pay the difference in cost out of his pocket. There you go Mr. Miller! A solution all could live with. Put your money where your mouth is and MOVE THE DEER!
interesting that someone finds a home
delivery somehow so frightening- if you
are listed in the phone book and a public
servant- there you go!
If this person is up front and out about
his dissent on the deer kill and he
had dumped a deer head on the guys
front steps wouldn't it have made more sense
for him to have someone else to deliver the
letter or maybe use a 44 cent stamp....
the last time I checked, unless the guy
had his property posted no trespass-
knocking on his front door with information
is not illegal
Get a life Ed Stephens. What? are you trying to get tough someone via a blog. Do you want him to put down his address so a weirdo like you can leave a deer head on his doorstep. Get a life.
It's a shame "Midtown Miscreant" doesn't have the balls to do more than type stupid comments while hiding behind an alias....
shame he doesn't have the balls to take credit for the deer head. It wouldn't make him appear any less of a whack job, but at least less of a fraud.
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