AUBURN - Like many people who are opposed to the countywide crow-shoot tournament this weekend, Hoss Firooznia hopes to save as many hunted birds as he can.
Connie Sturm makes a point about the crow situation during Thursday's City Council meeting. Matthew Hinton / Staff Photographer
But the difference is Firooznia, a member of Animal Rights Advocates of Upstate New York, will be looking for wounded birds not recovered by hunters participating in the two-day event.
He and a crew of four University of Rochester students will be scouring the countryside, looking for crow-hunting areas, most likely on farms and other private lands in rural areas of the county, he said. They may find them along roadsides with maimed wings and other injuries, he said.
Firooznia, a computer instructor at the University of Rochester, and the other bird rescuers will be performing primitive triage techniques on the injured crows before taking the birds to wildlife rehabilitator Trudy Gaertner, where she will decide which ones can be saved.
To keep them still and protected from the cold, theyll use warm water and a soft towel before placing them in a small cardboard box with a lid. Gaertner will also be out looking for wounded crows.
The birds with the most serious injuries will have to be euthanized, Firooznia said. But its better than them dying a slow and torturous death, he said. Working in two teams, maybe theyll find 10 or so birds if theyre lucky. Most likely, itll be a lot less than that.
Were not going to catch too many, just a drop in the bucket, Firooznia said Thursday. We do what we can.
Gaertner, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator with years of experience in saving injured birds, will do whatever she can to save them at her place in Springport.
Unfortunately, her vet, Dr. Dale Ottosen, will be out of town this weekend and will miss this weekends crow contest. So Gaertner may have to do much of the work herself, although she hopes to hear today whether a local surgeon will donate her time and help her.
If not, Gaertner will probably be in trouble, but I have to do something. Ive got try to help the crows, she said.
Shell be making the decision whether the bird can be saved or not. Shes not legally trained to perform surgery and cant do a lot of the medical techniques.
Once they arrive, Gaertner will first evaluate the injuries. Shell clean the wound, put the crow on some antibiotics and bandage the injury as best she can. Dehydration will be a major concern.
If the pellet hits muscle, theyll be fine. She cant do much for a crow suffering body injury to organs. Their bones are hollow and are part of their respiratory system. She wont be able to do much then and the bird would be euthanized, Gaertner said.
With the worst cases, Gaertner has arranged for a Syracuse vet to drive to Weedsport to pick up a bird. Otherwise, itll be sit and wait until Dr. Ottosen returns Monday, she said.
Last year, about eight wounded crows were picked up. Some were saved.
Firooznia has arranged for two veterinarians in Monroe County and one in Syracuse to help with their efforts this weekend, he said. The mission is to get wounded crows back into the wild.
Local attorney Mike Bass said he doesnt believe crow-shoot organizers Tom Lennox and Lance Gummerson would have any objections to rescue efforts, as long as the crew didnt interfere with hunters.
I cant imagine Tom and Lance having a problem with someone trying to save them, he said.
Gaertner said she understands the reason for crow hunting - they cause havoc if there are too many. But shes not happy about this weekends crow shoot. I dont think hunting should be glorified, she said.
She had to tell Gummerson, so she called him. Thats when she told the local bar owner that she and others plan to be looking for injured birds. She also said Gummerson and Lennox should donate the proceeds her Spiritwalker Wildlife Rehab Center, the financially-struggling operation that nearly closed earlier this year. He gave no commitment either way, she said.
I have to clean up after it, clean up their mess, she said.
Earlier this week, Lennox said nearly 50,000 crows are using Auburn for a roost and are a health hazard, he said they kill countless song birds and nesting waterfowl. All theyre doing is providing an activity for hunters who are experiencing mid-winter cabin fever, he said.
Between 20 and 50 four-man hunting teams will obey hunting laws this weekend, said Bass.
Animal-rights activists from around the Northeast are expected to protest when organizers count the dead birds at Spinouts Tavern on Orchard Street Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Earlier Thursday night, Firoonznia was among a handful of opponents who attended the Auburn City Council meeting to voice their disapproval of the crow kill.
Mayor Melina Carnicelli, adamantly opposed to the tournament, said the city has nothing to do with the event, but Gummerson and Lennox have a right to hold it as long its held outside of the city.
But Connie Sturm, owner of the Bird House in Aurelius, sees things differently, saying its a festival of slaughtering our crows.
He and a crew of four University of Rochester students will be scouring the countryside, looking for crow-hunting areas, most likely on farms and other private lands in rural areas of the county, he said. They may find them along roadsides with maimed wings and other injuries, he said.
Firooznia, a computer instructor at the University of Rochester, and the other bird rescuers will be performing primitive triage techniques on the injured crows before taking the birds to wildlife rehabilitator Trudy Gaertner, where she will decide which ones can be saved.
To keep them still and protected from the cold, theyll use warm water and a soft towel before placing them in a small cardboard box with a lid. Gaertner will also be out looking for wounded crows.
The birds with the most serious injuries will have to be euthanized, Firooznia said. But its better than them dying a slow and torturous death, he said. Working in two teams, maybe theyll find 10 or so birds if theyre lucky. Most likely, itll be a lot less than that.
Were not going to catch too many, just a drop in the bucket, Firooznia said Thursday. We do what we can.
Gaertner, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator with years of experience in saving injured birds, will do whatever she can to save them at her place in Springport.
Unfortunately, her vet, Dr. Dale Ottosen, will be out of town this weekend and will miss this weekends crow contest. So Gaertner may have to do much of the work herself, although she hopes to hear today whether a local surgeon will donate her time and help her.
If not, Gaertner will probably be in trouble, but I have to do something. Ive got try to help the crows, she said.
Shell be making the decision whether the bird can be saved or not. Shes not legally trained to perform surgery and cant do a lot of the medical techniques.
Once they arrive, Gaertner will first evaluate the injuries. Shell clean the wound, put the crow on some antibiotics and bandage the injury as best she can. Dehydration will be a major concern.
If the pellet hits muscle, theyll be fine. She cant do much for a crow suffering body injury to organs. Their bones are hollow and are part of their respiratory system. She wont be able to do much then and the bird would be euthanized, Gaertner said.
With the worst cases, Gaertner has arranged for a Syracuse vet to drive to Weedsport to pick up a bird. Otherwise, itll be sit and wait until Dr. Ottosen returns Monday, she said.
Last year, about eight wounded crows were picked up. Some were saved.
Firooznia has arranged for two veterinarians in Monroe County and one in Syracuse to help with their efforts this weekend, he said. The mission is to get wounded crows back into the wild.
Local attorney Mike Bass said he doesnt believe crow-shoot organizers Tom Lennox and Lance Gummerson would have any objections to rescue efforts, as long as the crew didnt interfere with hunters.
I cant imagine Tom and Lance having a problem with someone trying to save them, he said.
Gaertner said she understands the reason for crow hunting - they cause havoc if there are too many. But shes not happy about this weekends crow shoot. I dont think hunting should be glorified, she said.
She had to tell Gummerson, so she called him. Thats when she told the local bar owner that she and others plan to be looking for injured birds. She also said Gummerson and Lennox should donate the proceeds her Spiritwalker Wildlife Rehab Center, the financially-struggling operation that nearly closed earlier this year. He gave no commitment either way, she said.
I have to clean up after it, clean up their mess, she said.
Earlier this week, Lennox said nearly 50,000 crows are using Auburn for a roost and are a health hazard, he said they kill countless song birds and nesting waterfowl. All theyre doing is providing an activity for hunters who are experiencing mid-winter cabin fever, he said.
Between 20 and 50 four-man hunting teams will obey hunting laws this weekend, said Bass.
Animal-rights activists from around the Northeast are expected to protest when organizers count the dead birds at Spinouts Tavern on Orchard Street Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Earlier Thursday night, Firoonznia was among a handful of opponents who attended the Auburn City Council meeting to voice their disapproval of the crow kill.
Mayor Melina Carnicelli, adamantly opposed to the tournament, said the city has nothing to do with the event, but Gummerson and Lennox have a right to hold it as long its held outside of the city.
But Connie Sturm, owner of the Bird House in Aurelius, sees things differently, saying its a festival of slaughtering our crows.
