BigJ71

Since when do you get to decide what animals are "hunter issue" animals or not. Who agreed to your criteria? So CWD isn't a "hunter issue" either because it's not a game animal and you can't mount it or eat it? No it IS a hunter issure because it effects the game animals that we hunt.

I doubt it very much since game birds roost and nest on the ground and song birds don't. I would like to see that proof. But that's becides the point. It sure as hell should be a "bird watcher" issue as well. Just because it effects other species dosen't mean we should just ignore it. Maybe if the "bird watchers" got off of their butts too as well as hunters something would be done about it.

So your stance is because ignorant un-informed people might look at this the wrong way we should just fold to the media and the tree hugging left . So we should just sit back and not say or do anything and let these cats destroy both game birds and song birds? All because you don't want to ruffle the non and anti hunters out there? F'ing Brilliant!!! Because your scared they might take away your deer hunting? Great attitude to have. I'm glad our forefathers didn't think like you. I'm glad they had the balls to stand up and say and do the right and correct thing. I'm glad they didn't say "hey guys lets tone it down, we don't want to rock the boat here" where the hell would we be now if everybody thought the way you do? Sometimes you have to stand up and say what's right no matter how it may be received by the other side. My God man grab a set!

The bottom line is simple, the feral cat issue needs to be addressed. It's clear the "bird watchers" out there aren't doing it so we should because it does effect us!

duramaxlt

yes i would and have taken yotes while hunting.

BOWFANATIC

It's my fricken USA born right to voice my opinion , on anything!!!! Will I decide (for the hunting community)? Unfortunately , I'm but one vote(which was cast) so I guess just I , by myself , wont decide which is right. But you can bet your arse I'll be the thorn in your side until you wake up and SEE what damage this whole issue is/will do for hunters.

I have no idea where you were trying to go with the rest of that paragraph. "So CWD is not a hunter issue"? Last time I checked , CWD was a disease that is attacking deer , which we hunt , and we eat , and we mount. A disease we know absolutely diddly squat about. Dont even try comparing CWD to this issue.

Since you said "besides the point" , I wont educate you on nesting/roosting habbits of game birds.
If you'll look back on my posts you'll notice I never said anything about "ignoring" the issue. I did say "it SHOULD NOT be a hunter issue". Anyone who cant see the logic in that is either ignorant or just loves to argue!

Thanks for that quote! It makes my point alot easier.

These "ignorant un-informed people" your refering too are Don & Betty across the street , the Jones's next door , the Fockers on the corner.Oh and none of these people were anti hunters. Ask me again. Are we "folding to the media and the tree hugging left"? If you'd like to show your grandkids how to hunt , you'd better start picking your battles wisely!

You are fricken clueless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's see , the anti hunters , along with the non hunters , which would happen to be the rest of the fricken world , against us hunters???? Yeah , I'll pass on that battle Einstein!

Teaching our grandkids to hunt , so they can teach their grandkids also!

ACTravis

I would shoot that yote dog right where he stood and leave him there and hope another would come along to eat him then I would shoot that one too.

datamax

You can't pass - thats what we face right now in this country

BigJ71

You don't need to. I have been hunting upland birds since I was nine, that makes 31 years in the field. I think I know the roosting and nesting habbits of game birds. The feral cats are getting into the nests/eggs and destroying them, plain and simple.

The last time I checked , a feral cat is an animal that is attacking Pheasant and quail, which we hunt, and eat, and we mount.

I don't care who they are or where they live....infact I hope they live next door so I can talk some sence into them. The point is if they already think that way then they ARE the tree hugging left, can't you see that. Left unchecked they will absorb what the media tells them. They won't go away and by NOT standing up for what is RIGHT your correct, we won't be able to teach our grandkids how to hunt.

Why do you assume the non hunters will side with the anti's???? The way I see it if we don't say anything then the non hunters will get swayed to the tree hugging liberal left. It's our job to educate the non hunters why the feral cats need to be curbed. No you would rather not say anything and just kill them in secret. Great thinking Einstein! What happens when these people start getting caught killing cats?? How would hunters look then?? I'll tell you..... like a bunch of law breaking yahoo rednecks thats how, and all because you don't have the brass ones to speak your mind and stand up for what is right.

Give me a break! you admit there is a problem but won't support the people who want to do something about it. Great friend to hunting you are. I said this before....I bet you would not think this way if those cats were killing your precious deer.

For the record I'm not talking about going through the neighborhood shooting every cat I see. I'm talking about the feral cats that are out in the country killing game birds. Animal control can handle the intown cats. The last time I checked pheasants and quail don't roost/nest in your alley or garbage cans. Animal control won't do anything about the cats in unincorporated areas out the country and you know it. So who?

BigJ71

I would like to expand on something I said. I think hunters should take a bigger roll in how animal control curbs the feral cat problems intown. I say this because alot of those cats end up out in your fields killing game birds too. I think more pressure should be put on the animal control units especially in towns that are having big problems with stray and feral cats.

Bowfanatic, I'm sorry if I came across the wrong way, I am just very adamant about this problem. I thought about it and I agree with you IF you are talking about intown cats. While they still pose a very big problem, because left unchecked they will venture into the wild. I don't see any good light being shined on hunters if they pick up there guns and start shooting them. I think there are better ways to go about it than that. But I also feel hunters SHOULD be in the forefront leading the way in explaining why and helping eliminate these pests, because by doing that the gerneral public will understand why the feral cats need to be killed and thus won't have such a "blood thirsty" preconception of hunters.

BOWFANATIC

Two things here Data , first , yes we can pass that battle!! If we get our heads out of our arses and realize this SHOULD NOT be a hunters issue , that would be how "we pass" on this battle.
Second , we're not "facing that right now in this country". Right now , it's us hunters , and the non hunters who dont have a problem with it (hunting) , against the ANTI hunters. Right now , the anti hunters are grossly outnumbered. Push the non hunters (fence sitters) on their side , and we're (hunters) grossly outnumbered!!

I'm still curious. Have you had a change of heart on the canned hunts and how it "portrays hunters in a bad light"?

BigJ12

I apoligize for my earlier tone. I had been talking about this subject with a coworker , and how we listened to caller after caller from across the states , refer to Wisconsin hunters as "hicks , rednecks , blood thirsty killers , drunken yahoos that just want to shoot something , etc. etc. on talk radio.[:@] So yes , I came in fuming already.

I would like to touch on a couple misconceptions though. Feral cats pose far more danger to song birds than they do to game birds. Being on a farm I've seen it thousands of times. I cant recall ever , not once , seeing a cat bring in a game bird (other than mourning dove). Sparrows , robins , starlings , etc. , yes I've seen it enough , but the overall majority of animals I've witnessed them bring in were mice and moles. Ass for eggs? Never seen that either. But I have seen raccoons and foxes eating the eggs. Does this mean cats never do? Nope , I cant say that , I just never seen it , but it's funny I've seen coons raid nests on more than one occasion. Could this be the decline in game birds??? We have hardly anyone hunting and trapping fox and raccoon anymore.

Here is how I believe the cat issue should be handled , if you have a problem in your area.
It should be a landowner issue! Period. It doesn't point fingers at hunters and for the farmers/landowners who have issues with feral cats , allow them to remove/kill them as they see fit.

We (hunters) have enough battles already!!!
Choose your battles wisely!

datamax

BOWFANATIC - you and I both agree that feral cats need killed, don't we ?

We differ in that I don't mind making them right on par with any other varmits, legal description and all. Hell, if they're wild they ARE varmits.

Raccons, skunks, coyote pups, fox kits ....... all adorable and cuddly and legal to kill in hunting season and the public hates it, don't they ? I guess you think we should remove them from varmit status, make it illegal to "hunt" them but shoot, shovel and shutup whenever we get the chance ?

Brilliant strategy. Lies never help anything.

BigJ71

Bowfanatic,

Apology accepted, as I hope mine is as well.

After reading your last post I can understand your outrage. I also hope you understand mine. I am so sick and tired of hunters "hiding in the shadows" when things like this pop up and I used this example to sound off about it. I hope you understand.

You listed many other types of animals that indeed do destroy the game birds. And yes the decline of trapping these animals has probably added to the decline of game birds. I think we can both agree that what has killed more game birds that all the animals together would be weather and the rapid decline of habitat. One we can't control the other we can.

So I guess I flew off the handle when I shouldn't have. All I could decipher was you not wanting the hunters to get involved. I can see your thoughts because of the possibility hunters will look like a bunch of no brain blood thirsty killers, but this is where we differ. I don't think hunters should have to feel the need to stay in the background simply because of how we might be stereotyped. My opinion is, by not standing up and taking an active role, it only reinforces that way of thinking. It makes us look like we are wrong and have something to hide.

I say we stand up and take every opportunity that presents it's self to show the country just what we stand for. By getting involved more often we can get our message out. We have an avenue to tell the unimformed fence sitters how much money we as hunters generate for conservation and that we are the leading source of public revenue for that purpose. We have a chance to show how we as hunters strive to keep balance in the eco system when industrialization and the decline of natural habitat upsets it. We can show people how keeping feral cats in check as well as other natural predatory animals will be better and not worse for conservation and the future of game birds as well as song bird.

It's time we stand up every chance we get and show the fence sitters that we as hunters are dedicated to conservation and a healthy eco system for the generations and not just a bunch of rednecks out blasting everything we see.