Squirrel Slam foe says he will file appeal today

ROCHESTER – Richard Brummel is making another push in court to stop the Squirrel Slam hunting contest in Holley.

He said he will seek an injunction in the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court in Rochester this afternoon. Brummel disagrees with a decision by Orleans County Court Judge James Punch to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Lauren Sheive of Williamson in Wayne County.

Sheive and Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, argue that the Squirrel Slam has an environmental impact by wiping out thousands of squirrels.

Punch dismissed the case on Thursday and said the hunters in the contest are doing nothing illegal. They are hunting during the squirrel season. The Holley event is capped at 600 tickets or 300 two-person teams, said Fran Gaylord, president of the Holley Fire Company.  He said less than half actually hunt in the contest.

The hunting season for gray, black and fox squirrel runs from Sept. 1 to Feb. 28 and there is a daily bag limit of 6. Red squirrels may be hunted anytime and there is no limit, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Brummel said the Holley Fire Department neglected to do an environmental impact study detailing the hunt’s impact on the squirrel population.

Brummel said an attorney from Buffalo has taken on the case and prepared the appeal that will be filed this afternoon. Brummel said he hopes the court will take action and stop the Squirrel Slam, which is scheduled for Feb. 28 and raises about $4,000 for the Fire Department.