My husband and I found a spike strip (see picture- https://www.dropbox.com/s/q9839p27wzacg17/Spike%20strip.jpg ) on our hike yesterday placed into the trail on town property near the blueberry fields on Mt Jesse. It is essentially a spike strip made from a strip of wood with decking screws. The person dug it into the main trail and covered with debris so it was hard to see.

We are both avid users of this land behind our house for hiking, mountain biking, blueberry picking and snowmobiling. It is a beautiful place to just get away and be at peace with nature.

We immediately called Middleton Police who were joined by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and they commenced an investigation that resulted in an arrest warrant in record time (thank you MPD and NH F&G) for Michael K. Stevens age 51 of 4196 Province lake in Wakefields, NH. The owner of the business card placed on the strip.

See the arrest blog:http://middletonnhpolice.blogspot.com/2014/06/wakefield-resident-charged-with-felony.html

The team was able to attain a confession from the Mr. Stevens who acknowledged to leaving a total of four of “spoke strips) on the trails.

I am going to spare the readers the details. However, this is not the only act that has taken place on this parcel. This individual has been targeting my neighbors over the past couple years and we stumbled a number of things like this over the past. This was the final straw and his undoing, with a calling card to potentially identify the perpetrator, the police had something to go on other than a few game camera sightings and problems as in the past. Rest assured, all four strips were recovered. (If you find another please call Middleton PD immediately, as he advised there were only 4.)

What kind of person does something like that andleaves a business card? The mental state of a person who would do this is more concerning to me. As a hunter, I have never feared the potential bear or animal. However, now I am not feeling unsafe in a place that was once my retreat. The area many people use was set up to hurt people and animals.

The conditions of bail are now preventing Mr. Stevens from being on town property. I am asking as a resident you sign this petition and even take time to write letters to MPD asking as part of the final sentencing, Mr. Stevens be restricted from using town property. A person set aside the time it took to screw a dozen decking screws into a strip, place a business card, hike out, dig up and cover this (and 3 more) is someone who should not be allowed the opportunity to do anything like this again. In my eyes, it is a privilege he abused and should no longer have.

Please sign the Petition and forward any letters before July 30 to:

Middleton Police Department

Attn: Stevens Case

182 Kings Highway

Middleton, NH 03887