Lifting the Ban to Save Our Sport?
It’s no secret to those who know me or read my blog that I’m opposed to lifting the ban on Sunday hunting. I read Mike Marsh’s (well known NC Outdoor writer) article today and his opinion on why the ban should be lifted.
My view is based more on a “lets not rock the boat” approach then from a religious view. We currently enjoy a very liberal season in this state and overall support from the general public is strong. I think other land users have a right to pursue their activity and the concern, whether actual or a perceived, over safety is a valid issue.
Any sportsman that has uttered anything about not wanting to hunt public land because of safety issues shares the blame in this perceived notion over how unsafe our sport is. Actually like Mike points out in his article hunting is a very safe sport and from my reading of NC hunting accidents Public land is far safer then private lands. One would never know this if they only listened to what most hunters say when the topic of public land hunting comes up. There is no wonder that horseback riders and hikers don’t want to share the woods on the same day.
The latest hunter recruitment and retention surveys say hunters will be extinct if present trends continue. At the present rate of loss, no North Carolina hunters will remain within 30 to 50 years. While the state’s human population has doubled in my lifetime, hunters’ numbers have halved. There will be no one left to argue for or against Sunday hunting. The debate will end.
These rare gems, the multiple-use properties paid for by hunters, will disappear, and those horseback riders, paddlers, bikers and hikers who enjoy using the lands paid for by hunters will disappear along with hunters.
This is an interesting point that Mike makes and not one that I’ve heard in all the stuff I’ve read and discussed on this topic. The topic of youth retention comes up often but I’ve yet to find a state that allows Sunday Hunting that has youth statistics that suggest this is a factor. Mikes point is that many of the lands will become developed because of the lack of hunters supporting the open land and the other users will lose out as well because of the lack of hunters supporting the open land and the other users will lose out as well because they do not pay anything to support it. I think that even if our numbers weren’t dwindling as fast as they are the rate of development would still overtake us. North Carolina has taken some steps to ensure funding in the future with the Life Time License Program and that money being held in trust. Once again the trend of hunter lose is no greater then what others states are seeing so I’m not sure this is a valid argument.
At the Wildlife Meeting the other night the issue of Sunday Hunting was the first thing on the agenda. The Legislators have asked NC Wildlife to follow up the Sunday Hunting Study with a question to see if there is support to open some Game Lands to hunting on a limited basis as a study on the overall topic of Sunday Hunting. The feedback they got at the two meetings I went to I don’t see as being helpful at all because the vast majority was off topic and on Sunday hunting in general. I asked for some clarification on species that would be open or if all species would be opened? And more specifically would waterfowl be open? NC Wildlife can not answer those questions but did say that if waterfowl was open then the overall waterfowl season would have to be reduced.
That is what the problem with this topic is that it’s very broad and not very well defined. I think the question should be “Should the Sunday hunting ban be lifted?” Leave 1pm opening, Bow Hunting only, Private Land Only, limited Game Lands, etc. out of it Up or Down Vote by the legislators. Will we see that? I doubt it.
Cool story brotha. Wish you could have got one, after all the head ache. T.
I’ve noticed the drop in hunting popularity, too. We used to practically live for hunting season.
Comment by BirdAdvocate — January 29, 2007 @ 4:45 am
Moose, I’d like to thank you for visiting us and for the link on your site. I will reciprocate it immediately.
Comment by BirdAdvocate — January 30, 2007 @ 2:46 am