Moose Droppings

There are only a handful of places in North America that bans hunting on Sunday and it seems that many of these places are taking another look at the ban. North Carolina just narrowly missed partially lifting the ban when the commissioners shot down falconry on Sundays with many thinking this could be the stepping stone to lift the ban.

This past week New Brunswick decided to allow hunting on Sunday’s during the annual deer season.

Natural Resources Minister Donald Arseneault says the amendment to the Fish and Wildlife Act lessens the restriction on hunters, while balancing the needs of the non-hunting public by limiting the number of weekends.

Some in North Carolina have talked about trying to get the same change here but unlike North Carolina where deer season runs September- 1st of January New Brunswick’s season is only 3 weeks long.

The Wildlife Commission met today and although the official minutes have not been posted the news from the meeting is that these two proposals were shot down. As I reported before there was over whelming support for a statewide two buck limit with most opposition coming from the hound hunters. It seems the commissioners have sided once again with the dog lobby which really doesn’t surprise me but it is disappointing. No matter where you side on this issue you have to be concerned that a small minority with a lobbyist can sway the commissioners to vote against the majority opinion of sportsmen as well as their own biologists.

The other proposal that went down in flames that really surprises me is the one to open up falconry on Sundays. I heard of very little opposition to this proposal at the hearing I was at and from those I have talked to about other hearings from across the state. Many in the hunting community were looking at this as a stepping stone to open bow hunting on Sundays in the near future. Sunday hunting was endorsed by the Wildlife Commission briefly about a year ago with the completion of the Sunday Hunting Study and a recommendation to change the law seemed close. Then after a brief recess they undid all that and passed the study on without any comment. I really thought this would pass but obviously someone got to them or a lot of write in comments came in against it.

As far as the other 80 or so proposals go I haven’t heard anything so we’ll have to wait for the minutes to get posted.

On the Sunday Hunting debate a lot if the proposal to allow Falconry Hunting on Sundays passes. Last night I attended district 5 public meeting about wildlife proposals for the coming year. One of them is to open up Sunday hunting for falconry which according to NCWRC is not covered under the Sunday Hunting ban in the State Statues. I already knew this because I’ve debated the Sunday Hunting Issue on numerous occasions and for the record I’m opposed to changing the law. Now my opposition is somewhat mild in the sense that I’m not going out of my way to prevent the law from being changed nor am I voting for individuals based on their views on this subject.

As fate would have it I was sitting next to one of the pro supporters who was on the local TV news with me a while back. We’re friends and have even hunted a time or two together and talk on line some. The question in the open part of the hearing came up about how come falconry could be allowed but Sunday Hunting in general could not be allowed. The spokesman for the Wildlife Commission said that the law in question was passed in 1869 and it did not address hunting with falcons which means the Wildlife Commission has the authority to open up Sundays for this type of hunting. I then specifically asked if the law addressed archery or not. The spokesman said no it only banned the use of firearms to hunt with on Sunday’s. This means that it is within the NCWRC authority to open up bow hunting on Sundays just as it is for them to open up falconry.
I find it interesting that every year they dodge the Sunday hunting ban by saying it requires the law makers to change the law when in actuality they could open it up to archers. Once this information was realized by many in the room there was a flurry of folks going on the record urging them to bring this proposal up as soon as possible.

You can hear the recording I made of this exchange on my radio show this week, Moose Droppings Fridays at 1 pm.

The North Carolina Wildlife Commission has released the proposed changes to be discussed at the public meetings next month. I have quickly read them and the big changes as I read it are; two buck limit statewide (Yes about time) and extend the squirrel season to the end of February (Makes sense to me). There are numerous other changes but those seem to be significant. The sleeper change if I was picking one is the proposal to allow Falconry Hunting on Sunday. This is a curious proposal and it will be interesting to see if those adamantly opposed to hunting on Sunday will rally around this issue.

H12. Allow falconry on Sundays.
Justification: The Commission has the legal authority to allow falconry on
Sundays, and there is no biological reason to maintain the current prohibition.

The reason this is so interesting is that the same legal authority that allows them to open falconry would also allow them to open bow hunting. I bet they won’t go there at this point

This is your opportunity to have a say so I hope you get out to one of the public meetings.

This is part 3 in a series on Sunday Hunting Ban and the ongoing debate about that here in North Carolina. If you’re just joining us please be sure to check out part 1 and part 2.

Landowners should always have the right to decide what activity does or does not take place on their property so I have no problem with landowners deciding that aspect. However a challenge to overturn this law based on it should be up to the landowners is somewhat flawed because seasons and limits are a State function and not left up to landowners. The State has the right and the duty to establish the seasons and bag limits. I think if some want to change the law to allow hunting on Sunday’s and they base it on landowners’ rights that they should also encompass other hunting aspects that effect landowners.

Certainly statewide the issue of trespass on private land is an issue and going the route other places have and allow reverse posting, all privately held land is considered posted unless signs indicate it’s open for others to enjoy, so that first offenders get a ticket instead of a warning would put a little more bite into it. This would also eliminate the problem with vandalism and outright destruction of posted signs to create access points on to private land. In the counties that allow dog hunting finding a way to protect landowners rights is paramount. Currently there is little a landowner can do if deer hunters run their hounds across the land. As one who has experienced this on numerous occasions I can certainly see why non-hunting landowners would object to changing this law. That would in effect basically double the headache they are already facing with adding an additional weekend day.

By opening up just private land on Sunday’s and by potentially banning the use of hounds on Sunday’s you are really fragments the minority of hunters who currently support the law change. I certainly think there is some validity to allowing landowners decide but getting past the objections to allow this I think is a far fetch idea when you consider the atmosphere around this issue currently in the state of North Carolina.

Although I think there are some valid points in this point of view I do not think this by itself will get the Sunday Hunting Ban overturned. Up next I’ll address if Sunday hunting will help us balance the herd and improve hunter retention.

People often refer to the First Amendment of the US Constitution as the “separation of church & state” which is a completely wrong interpretation of the 1st amendment. It disallows the government from establishing an “official religion” for the country but at the same time it does not prohibit the expression of Judaeo Christian principles that are integrate philosophy of the founding of this country.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Needless to say I believe that many of the liberals including most of the media has twisted the First Amendment to attempt to blot out any mention of God, to stop prays, and to block the rights of individuals to practice or display religion in public. I could expand even more on that topic but I won’t at this time.

How does this apply to hunting on Sunday? Those who want to have this law over turned would have you believe that this law violates the “First Amendment” by believing that it establishes an official religion within the State of North Carolina or by taking the more liberal interpretation it violates the “Separation of Church & State”. I don’t see that it does.
I will grant you that this law along with many others has some foundation within Judaeo Christian principles but it is not totally based on them. The government has not allowed a variety of activities on Sundays over time and many of them have been changed not because the violated the “separation of church & state” but the people got the laws changed. Many of us remember when stores use to be closed on Sundays for example. Currently in the State of North Carolina you can not purchase hard liquor on Sundays if this was a 1st Amendment issue one would think the popularity of alcohol would drive a challenge to the state’s stance.

In North Carolina we have a representative government which means we elect individuals to go to Raleigh and make the laws and change the laws for us. We do not have referendums for the people to decide but we tell our legislators what we want. Currently I don’t see a group of legislators that see this as an important issue to even attempt to put it on the docket. The legislators did ask for the North Carolina Wildlife Commission to study this issue and the results came back last year showing that there was not majority support among the people of the state to change this law. Even when you separate out the hunters from the study that sub group did not support the changing of this law.
Those who want to see this law changed could challenge it violates the 1st Amendment but I don’t think this will change it. They must get the legislators to change the law and in order to do that they must gain the support of many of the stake holders including land owners which is the next thing I’ll talk about in this series. The rights of property owners when it comes to the Sunday Hunting issue.

Sunday Hunting Part 1

This is the first part in a series I’ll do over the next little bit

North Carolina along with a handful of states still does not allow hunting on Sundays and in hunting circles it is a divisive topic. My series of posts will focus mostly on the issue here in North Carolina but I’m sure the issues are the same else where. From the onset I must say that I’m for the most part opposed to lifting the ban but at the same time I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.
Currently with the way things are other land users can get out and enjoy the outdoors with little fear of getting shot. Now I know that even during a hunting day the risk of such an accident is extremely low but we as hunters have allowed this fallacy to be painted of us and in many cases we have contributed to it;

“I got to find some private land to hunt cause it’s dangerous on Game Lands”

“Even if you don’t hunt you should wear bright clothing when you go walking because it’s hunting season”

I’m sure you’ve heard this said and maybe out of your mouth a time or two. The facts are that here in North Carolina you are far more likely to be involved in a hunting accident on private land then on public lands. That is certainly not the perception one gets when talking with hunters or reading posts on hunting message boards.

Wearing bright clothing makes you safer…. Really? I’m not so sure about that. If you know how to handle a firearm you know that one of the cardinal rules is “know your target and what is beyond it” you never shoot your weapon until you have properly identified your target. I believe that bright colored clothing only makes unsafe hunters safer and they really shouldn’t be in the woods anyways. The message you send to the non hunting community is that all hunters are unsafe because they will not properly identify their target before shooting.

When you have a deer season that currently runs September to January and a turkey season that runs April-May with only Sundays off for other land users to enjoy the outdoors I find it hard to support taking that day away. The Fall and Spring are the best times to really enjoy the outdoors here without the cold or the heat the other seasons bring.

I’m not sure how many stories I’ll have in this series but I welcome your comments just keep them civil. In the next few days I’ll respond to the Separation of Church & State Issues.

Sunday Hunting Stories I’ve Written

Massachusetts appears to be the latest state to look at over turning Sunday Hunting Ban. There is only a handful of states that still ban hunting on Sunday including North Carolina. Last year the North Carolina Wildlife Commission did a study on the topic here and there was not over whelming support even among hunters to change it. I think the decision should be left up to the people of the state and special interest groups on both sides should stay out.

Here in NC the NRA and other groups came out in support despite the fact the members from those groups were pretty evenly split on the topic. If there is not over whelming support on the part of their members why spend money to fight it?

As far as the anti groups go unless you support hunting the other 6 days a week why do we need to hear from you that your opposed to lifting the ban?

It will be interesting to see what the people of Massachusetts think about the topic and hopefully the special interest groups won’t drown them out.

Without as much fanfare as the Sunday Hunting study had this one was released and for the most part it mirrored the earlier report. Although hunting in general has wide support even among those that do not hunt there is not much support for lifting the ban on Sunday Hunting. Among hunters ourselves there is not overwhelming support and until such time there is I doubt we’ll see a change in this law.

I’m not in favor of changing the law myself nor do I actively work on blocking any attempts to change the law. My opposition is not a religious one which is the most often cited reason for not overturning the ban, but more a land use issue. We currently have a fairly lengthy deer season for a vast majority of the state so the tradition of not hunting on Sunday allows other land users the opportunity to utilize the land as well.

I think in this situation the Wildlife Commission is correct in sending it on without a recommendation because it’s really a political decision more then a conservation issue.

Sunday Hunting on Game Lands Study

The other day I did a story about Sunday Hunting Ban and the effort of an organization called WRENCH to get it over turned. I sent them an email requesting more information on their organization and invited them to come out here and offer a response to my post. It is obvious that they never came out here because they thanked me for my support on this issue and they looked forward to working with me to get the Sunday ban overturned.
I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m not supportive of over turning the ban but I do support the right for them to at least be heard.

WRENCH will not be successful if they can not get a clear message out and as an organization goes they seem to be somewhat disorganized. I’ve received about 10 emails from them most of them containing just a single link to a politician or group of politicians. These emails could easily combined into a single email or on a website to better communicate with those seeking information.

Sunday Hunting is certainly a hot button topic and will continue to be debated for the years to come. I highly doubt that we’ll see any changes in the law from the legislators given the opposition is highly organized by mostly religious groups and church denominations that most politicians don’t want to upset if they can avoid it. Over coming that opposition will take a very long time and a very organized effort especially now that it appears Mr. Jim Black is headed to the big house.

The Sunday hunting debate for the most part is no longer front and center, The study conducted for the Wildlife Commission and reported on here showed no overwhelming support for changing it even among hunters. At the public hearings this year materials were past out by a group called WRENCH looking to overturn the Sunday Hunting ban. Up until this point other then some material passed out at the hearings nothing much has been said until a column in the Star News by Mike Marsh this weekend. Mike is a strong supporter of lifting the ban and makes some great points.

WRENCH and founder Gerald Spann has a lofty goal to get the ban overturned in 2007 but unless their plan is a covert one it’s hard to understand what they are doing because thus far they are relatively unknown.

What has Spann upset is the state’s last remaining blue law, which bans Sunday hunting with a firearm. He has begun a movement, WRENCH in 2007. The acronym stands for Wildlife Resource Equality in North Carolina Happens in 2007.

I read countless stories about hunting and wildlife in North Carolina and this is the first article about WRENCH I’ve come across. A review of a web message forum dedicated to Sunday Hunting in NC has no mention of WRENCH nor is there much activity at all.

Although I don’t support overturning the ban I certainly support the right of those who want to have it heard to be heard. I thought the actions of the Wildlife Commission at the December meeting was spineless. I’m afraid that for many the debate on Sunday Hunting died that December day and the topic can not be resurrected until it has been dead for a while.

I read Paul Howey’s column in the Ashville Citizens Times about his opposition to hunting on Sunday and really all hunting.
Do animals understand a day of rest? I don’t think so. When I walk in the woods the deer or the rabbit flees just like it does on any other day of the week because man is the top of the food chain. Granted there are places like many parks and areas where animals have lost their natural fear of man and often to the determent of both the animal and man. One only has to look to areas where cougars and bears have lost this fear and see man as just another happy meal.

Religion has been twisted to support just about anything imaginable under the sun and to get into that debate it will be rather lengthy. Suffice it to say I see no conflict between my religious convictions and hunting or fishing. Mr. Howey’s blend of Buddhism and early Christian teachings spun into some whimsical view of Jesus and his band of hippies obviously conflict with this view. Many of those so called hippies were fishermen that would certainly conflict with the Humane Society and other groups that Mr. Howey shares his world view with.

I won’t apologize for the recreational part of hunting it’s something I enjoy. I don’t have to rationalize anything because to me the killing of food is something that is basic to surviving. There is some hard work that goes into the stalking and killing of an animal and preparing it for the table. A lot of that is lost in today’s society when you can just hit the meat counter at the Piggly Wiggly or some fast food drive thru. No matter where that burger on the grill came from it represents a life that was taken. I don’t have to rationalize anything because to me the killing of food is something that is basic to surviving

Many within the animal rights movement would love to see the end to all killing of animals including those to make burgers and chicken nuggets. That is a lofty dream of theirs so they’ll incrementally go after things like trapping, bow hunting, and hunting in general to achieve their goal

I see the beauty in nature, I work to preserve nature and I also participate in the life and death struggle that is nature.