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Game Commission Bans Hunting in Frein Search Area

BARRETT TOWNSHIP — State officials call it a rare move. By executive order, hunting and trapping are temporarily banned in seven townships in the Poconos ...

BARRETT TOWNSHIP -- State officials call it a rare move. By executive order, hunting and trapping are temporarily banned in seven townships in the Poconos as law enforcement continue to comb the woods for suspected killer Eric Frein.

Those townships are Price, Barrett, and Paradise in Monroe County and Blooming Grove, Greene, Porter, and Lehman in Pike County.

Officials believe it is just too dangerous for hunters to be in those woods with Frein still on the loose.

Frein is accused of gunning down and killing one trooper and wounding another.

"The individual that they're looking for, Mr. Frein, probably has no regard for public or private land. I`ll assume that he`ll use any land available," said game commission officer Bill Williams.

Deer archery season is scheduled to begin Saturday.

State police recently revealed they have discovered pipe bombs in their search area of the Pike and Monroe County border.

They recommended to the state game commission people be kept out of these woods.

"Here I am out here trying to get everything set up for the season and all of a sudden I find out I can`t go hunting on Saturday," said Gene Besko of the Pine Lodge Sportsmans Association.

Game commissioners say hunters found in the banned area could get a verbal or written warning if they are there accidentally.

But if it's clear they are defying the ban on purpose, there could be a citation and a fine of thousands of dollars.

Hunters we spoke with say they understand the precaution.

"If they would happen to stumble onto something and get hurt, you know, then we`d have another loss, an innocent victim," said John Brown of Barrett Township.

Some sportsmen are preparing to hunt elsewhere.

"If they were going to cancel it, they should have coordinated it and canceled it in the beginning because it`s throwing a big curve into everybody`s idea of going out into the woods and going hunting," Besko said.

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