Re: RC: Hunting Season

[Linda Flemmer <bluewolfranch@yahoo.com>]

---  Cheryl Ann <mskit@netsync.net> wrote:
> Hi -
> 
> How does everyone handle hunting season with regards
> to clothing, trails, confronting hunters,
> tresspassing, etc? Does anyone have to "patrol"
> their property? 

Cheryl,

We post our property "No Hunting".  We allow folks to
pass through since most of our neighbors are good
about letting us do the same on horseback.  We've only
had one problem where a couple of kids were shooting
at squirrels and shots whizzed past us in our horse
pasture.  My husband went to their house & spoke with
the parents.  We had a written apology from the two
boys and a promise from the parents that the guns were
being put up for a long time.

I wear standard riding clothes/jackets with a blze
orange mesh vest over top of it all.  While I don't
change our horses' tack colors, I do add sleigh bells.
 I have to say that the bells bother me than the
horses.  I really get sick of hearing them by the end
of the ride, but there's no way any deer wear bells!

Most of the hunters in our area are locals, or  they
used to live here & are coming back to hunt with the
rest of the family.  We have a congenial relationship
with 99.9% of them.  We keep the trails open for our
riding which means that they can get into the woods
with their ATV's to get the deer out.

I stick to open dirt roads where ever possible.  The
only woods we travel are as we get off of our property
- all of a 1/4 mile at most.  

Our state just approved hunting on Sundays, only on 
private property with written permission.  That really
took away our only "safe" day to ride.  Each county
can repeal this regulation in a county-wide voters
referendum.  It's coming up for vote in our county
this Spring.  Most folks I talk to are opposed to it
where we live.

Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Ranch
West Virginia

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