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Local officials say that the business, called Liberty Hollow Whitetail Hunts, is breaking the law by offering hunters lodging and meals on the property, as well as by allowing clients to take aim not only at deer, but also at sheep, goats, turkeys and even wild boars.
"We've tried for months to get a settlement, but Liberty Hollow is continuing to operate in violation," Drumore Township zoning officer Mark Deimler said Monday. "We withdrew our planned hearing on the preserve (before Quarryville District Judge Stuart Mylin) because we were trying to reach a settlement with Liberty Hollow."
However, he said, "because we couldn't reach an agreement, we have to start the process over again."
Liberty Hollow, Deimler said, has 15 days to appeal the re-filing with the township's zoning hearing board, or else come through in compliance.
"But most likely this (issue) won't go back before Justice Mylin," Deimler said. "Probably, it will eventually end up in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas."
Liberty Hollow Whitetail Hunts, at 1771 Furnace Road in Drumore Township, has been operating since 2006 on a 60-acre property, according to published reports.
Liberty Hollow owner Steve Ebersole said Monday that his business is being "harassed" by the township. "All we want to do is what's right, but it seems like the township is just making up ordinances as they go along," Ebersole said.
"We actually want a hearing to happen, but every one that Drumore sets up, they end up canceling," Ebersole said. "We're just looking for answers."
Though Ebersole said that, when his business started, Liberty Hollow did allow for hunting of other kinds of animals like rams, turkeys and hogs, currently the only species allowed for hunting is deer.
Also, he said, the company no longer permits hunters to sleep in a shed on the property. The firm had been keeping the shed open to hunters who had arrived late at night after driving long distances from places such as New York or New England.
Liberty Hollow, he said, works extensively with Allentown-based Camp Compass Academy, which aims to expose inner-city youths to the outdoors. The company also bans hunting on Sundays and does not allow alcohol on the property.
"A lot of people out there don't have the facilities to go to, especially the elderly or the handicapped, who don't have the means to get around," Ebersole said. "Liberty Hollow gives them a place to go, where they can take their kids or grandkids and have a family day."
