The superintendent of Lancaster Country Club has pleaded guilty to killing Canada geese last week. Jerry L. Dunfee pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of killing Canada geese while not during hunting season. Fairfield County Municipal Court Judge David Trimmer sentenced Dunfee to two years of probation, fined him $100 and ordered him to serve 20 hours of community service. He also was ordered not to kill any animals. Dunfee was ticketed when a state wildlife officer was called to the country club, 2841 B.I.S. Road, on May 12 after two Canada goslings were killed.
"I was raking traps with a mechanical rake. By the 12th fairway trap, I observed four adult Canada geese and a number of goslings," Dunfee said in a statement to Ohio Division of Wildlife Officer Gregory Wade. "I began to chase them. The adults outran my machine, but I caught up with several goslings. As I continued chasing, I caught up with some of the goslings, and the chase turned into running them over." The mechanical rake is a 3-wheeled device used to rank sand traps. Two goslings were killed. "In the heat of the moment, I got carried away, becoming too aggressive," Dunfee said in his statement to Wade. "In the past, they had left a terrible mess, and I wanted to scare them off. My actions got completely out of hand."
Country Club General Manager Steve Ververis said the country club does not condone killing of wildlife. "We respect wildlife and have always loved being out in the country," Ververis said. "That's part of the beauty of the Lancaster Country Club." Ververis said no such incident will happen again. No personnel actions against Dunfee were planned, and he'll remain the country club's superintendent.
Vicki Kohli, education specialist with the Fairfield County Soil & Water Conservation District, said Canada geese are most common this time of year. "They nest in springtime and become very protective of the territory," Kohli said. "The best way to keep them away is to let your grass grow. They don't like high grass. Of course, that isn't an option at a golf course. But for homeowners, letting your grass stay a little higher will keep them away. They just don't like high grass."
Wade said Canada geese are protected animals. "I know they can be very aggravating, especially during this time of year when they get protective of areas when mating and giving birth," Wade said. "But everyone needs to remember, you can scare them, but you can't kill them." Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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