Moose Droppings

Down at the Community Store

Nov 19, 2006 @ 10:49 pm by Moose

Jason Hawkins writer for the Durham Herald Sun has a great story about a tradition that is quickly becoming a thing of the past, tagging your game with a “wildlife agent”. The convenience of the cell phone and the computer makes a trip to the local community store to check your deer in a thing of the past.

It was the only place around where a hunter could buy a can of gas, a tin of Vienna sausages and some crackers and down a bottle of cold Coca- Cola.

It went by names like Flint Hamlin’s Store, or John Walker Thomas’ Store. It was the country store, once found throughout rural America.

From November through December, it was the place where a good hunting trip, and even some bad ones, began and ended.

Although places like this maybe harder and harder to find in North Carolina other parts of the country it is still the mainstay of checking in big game. In Maine last year I tagged my moose in at a local store and had the opportunity to visit it again this season with a Maine black bear. There is a lot of excitement especially during the moose season when a moose is brought in. I bet there was 25 people standing around watching my moose get tagged. Not bad for a Friday morning in October in Northern Maine, I bet some politicians wish they could draw a crowd like that.

I took up hunting in my adult life and I learned a lot stopping in at these check stations all across New England. It’s sad to see this tradition fading away.

I’ve decided that, for my own children, I don’t want their early memories of hunting to be the glow of a computer or the sound of an operator’s recorded voice.

We’ll take our deer to the nearest agent and stand out in the dark, hoping more will do the same.

I whole hardly agree with Jason’s plan to utilize the agent system to tag some big game. I tagged my first deer this year at a small community store in Washington County and will try to tag a few using this system. Traditions are important to our history and culture so I hope you too will join us.

Link to Rest of Jason Hawkins story