Just the way it goes--we go to the crab dance, then we'll have to walk in mud!!
The same thing goes on here in Canada, all that was mentioned in this post.
I've been hunting in the days when farmers were looking for hunters at the local pro shops. The deer were destroying their crops and they wanted all the help they could get---legally of course.
Then the un-ethical, disrespectful and uncaring surfaced and showed absolutely no regards for the land owners, causing these 'warm welcoming farmers' to lock their gates and deny all/most and sundry permission to hunt on their land.
I was left to hunt on mostly public land, dodging bullets and spending hours in dicussions, trying to resolve situations where we're not stepping on each other toes.
After a few years of doing this, I saw good reasons to buy my own land/farm.
Fortunately I was able to do this with much had work and sacrifice. But this hasn't stopped the problems either. Now when I'm away, truck tires not made by my truck patterns the land. I've installed gates and NO TRESPASSING signs--a few weeks after the signs were torn down.
I am mostly a bow hunter, I do use a gun for ducks & geese--and I'm not going to knock on anyone using a gun legally of course--but when sitting in the stand during the ARCHERY season ONLY, during the fading moments of the evening light, prime time, the heart begins to sound, the ears tuned for every sound (providing the wind is calm of course)--you're scanning from left to right waiting for what feels like the 'anytime now moment' and all of a sudden--- the REPORT from a SHOTGUN or RIFLE---'bang' and sometimes 'bang' again-- I can explain the fall!! It's like one moment you all the way to the top and seconds after you're all the way at the bottom. Archery season ONLY--yeah right!!
Many times Conservation Officers openly admit they're short of staff and can't be two places at one time...and yet even though they're VOLUNTEERS in hospitals, senior homes, schools, even for search & rescue operations, to name a few---why then don't they allow volunteers for the fair harvesting of wildgame.
I would become a volunteer overnight!
I believe in freedom of speech, I believe that everyone has their ways of doing things....but I don't believe in disrespect and disregard for others!!
Unfortunately when we try to 'protect ourselves' and 'defend our own rights' we un-intentionally create ENEMIES!!
I would love to have neighbors who have contributed to this post--then I'll live & hunt in 'heaven'.