Mar 17, 2015 2 min read

Instead of daily updates on the controversial deer culling operation in Mt. Lebanon, officials will release weekly updates as police investigate more reports of trespassing and tampering with the contractors’ equipment.

According to Mt. Lebanon deputy police chief Aaron Lauth, the department had received five separate incident reports from March 11-15.

“Someone placed deer feed outside of the corral located in Bird Park on March 11; there was a feeder removed from the golf course and thrown over the hillside causing damage to it on March 12th; that same day, one of the contractors reported being followed and yelled at by a female who told him he wasn’t allowed to be in the parking lot of the First Church-Christ Scientist building,” Lauth said.

“But the contractor reported he was just turning around in the parking lot,” he said. Two other incidents were reported March 15, with one caught on cameras placed by the contractors. Deputy chief Lauth said a corral gate was tampered with in Bird Park, as a stick was wedged into the gate locking mechanism.

“And in Robb Hollow, there were several white, absorbent balls the size of a baseball that were soaking in some unknown, foul-smelling chemical. They were tossed all around the corral,” Lauth said.

The news comes as Wildlife Specilaists, LLC, the contractors hired through March 31 to kill up to 150 deer, reported six deer had been killed as of March 16.

The contractors have said they fear protestors or heightened activity in the areas with baited corrals may be interfering with the cull operation. The contractors first reported trespassing and tampering with their sites caught on camera the week of Feb. 21.

Mt. Lebanon township is paying $500 dollars for each deer shot and killed at close range in baited corrals. The meat is to be donated, as required by the contract.