Slain deer station near playground draws fury

And you thought "Bambi" was traumatic.

Upton Police Chief Thomas Stockwell and town officials lashed out at state wildlife officials yesterday over a check-in station for slain deer located next to a town playground filled with children.

The station, which monitors the region's deer hunt, weighed and probed 30 cervine corpses, some 20 to 30 feet from the playground. "There was a pool of blood in the parking lot," Stockwell said. "When I voiced my concern that it really wasn't an appropriate place to be, the response I got -- which I thought was a little disturbing -- was 'that's your opinion, and we're going to stay.' "

Stockwell acknowledged yesterday that police received one complaint about the location of the check-in station but felt strongly enough to go there and talk to state biologists himself on the first day of the state's two-week shotgun hunting season. An official at the town selectmen's office said he received several inquiries about the check-in station.

"We certainly don't want to have that in front of an area where young children are going to play," said Joan E. Shanahan , chairwoman of the town's Board of Selectmen. "This is a rural community and the state forest is only up the road. They certainly could have the station there. It could traumatize the children. This is not the place for it to be done."

It's the second year the check-in station has been located at the George Leland VFW Post on Milford Street. Fin and Feather Sports , which sponsors the station, had previously located it in the shop's narrow parking lot across the street, but that caused a few fender-benders, said owner Jeff LeClaire .

Thomas O'Shea , assistant director of wildlife for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, said the state would look into the matter. MassWildlife received no complaints, he said.

"We are happy to work cooperatively with any community if there are concerns," he said. "I think the sensibilities of communities vary relative to hunting."

O'Shea said check-in stations are critical to help the state track and research the deer population.

LeClaire said it was no big deal. "As I was over there, the biologists did say they were seeing some children all excited about it," he said. "The biologists said they had a lot of great comments. There's been at least 40 to 80 kids all day playing, and if they were disgusted, I'm sure they would have left."