Back on 12-19-07 old chicken kicker was all full of hope and optimism willing to tell all how good HR was and how wrong those that opposed it were, my how times have changed. Now that he sees his future slipping through his fingers now that he has to live with what so many other hunters have had to deal with. It was all to easy to say those words wasn’t it john it a different ballgame when you have to live with what you support
Letter to editor in Times Observer today 12/19
Here is what I submitted, it was only slightly edited...I guess the editor never heard of a "deer yard", he changed it to "Deer herd".
“No deer!” I am tired of that saying. Let me ask my fellow hunters something, when did we move away from being stewards of wildlife and just become consumers who buy something and expect something, and if we don’t get it, we go after the seller? When people read the editorials on this subject I hope they don’t think all hunters share such a narrow vision.
Way too many are judging the current deer population on a few days in the woods in the Fall. Why should a deer herd be kept elevated to provide some days of recreation when it causes them to ruin their surroundings and barely live through tough winters? Remember huge winter deer yards and finding dead deer come spring? Seen those lately? Were those really “the good old days”? The deer we hunt deserve far more respect and care from us than that. Yes, the new program has knocked the herd way back, but it was meant too, it was called HERD REDUCTION. I don’t think anyone thought it would be done so well, but is hunting ruined forever? No way, in fact it has forever proven that hunters are the most effective means to reduce deer numbers. We are just being asked to be patient while a new balance is found. There is no big conspiracy to destroy all the deer. If agencies wanted the deer gone, why did the ANF not issue additional DMAP tags this year for the bulk of the national forest? And why did the PAGC not raise doe tag allocations to meet the huge demand that causes almost immediate sellout in our area?
Have some patience. Hunters that endure can look forward to many great years to come. Those that quit, well hey that ball is in your court. But is there anything wrong with having to spend more time in the woods all year to find the deer we seek? I mean being outdoors around here is a true blessing and a little patience and perhaps a tweak in attitude and you may just find hunting more rewarding and satisfying than ever before. If you choose to stay in the “good old days”, well then expect to be miserable just like that young deer that can’t reach any browse in late February. My family and I will choose the high road and continue to do what we feel is best as stewards of the forest and the deer.
So what will I do as a Father? Well here is my plan.
Make sure that the urge to fill the tag or bag the limit does not overtake the pace my kids need to enjoy the sport. Long term focus, not short term rewards are the goal of the hunt.
Get them thinking of the outdoors 365 days a year, not just October thru January. Sell the whole package and make sure they want to be part of the cycle of life and not just the harvest. Get them out to plant apple trees in the Spring, see the young fawns in summer, as well as the late winter carcasses of deer that succumbed to nature’s sometimes cruel hand.