Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Hunting Season

Quoted from Sullivan's message:
> people should be responsible for knowing hunting seasons.  We generally 
> stay out of these areas.

Here in my area of NM hunting season started Sept 1 with the elk archery 
hunt.  That ran through Nov 13, with deer about the same time period.  But 
the end of August there's antelope season, and bear season starts the 
beginning of August.  Cougar started Oct 1 and goes through March 31 of 
next year.  Turkey from mid April through mid May.

So it looks like the only time anyone could use our National Forests and 
BLM land here is from mid May through July, all of 2 1/2 months - and 
coincidentally those 2 1/2 months are fire season when here in NM the 
National Forests may well be closed due to fire danger.  Staying out of 
those areas as a solution to not getting shot is not reasonable, and it's 
poor use of public lands.  I don't know how many hunters there are out 
there for the 9 1/2 months but there can't be more than a few 
hundred.  Even if it was a couple thousand, would that be reasonable, that 
a couple thousand people get to monopolize public lands for practically the 
whole year?

Personally - and I tread on dangerous ground here and may get in trouble 
from Steph for it - I think the problem is gun control laws.  As Angie 
hinted at, the kids who handle guns and hunt routinely are not going to be 
shooting people, horses or signs.  It's those who don't have experience who 
wind up frustrated and hit whatever they see moving (or not), or who don't 
understand what guns can really do because they have no life experience 
with them, and start drinking (or smoking, whatever).  I think everyone 
should be required to learn how to shoot, and should be taught that 
starting in kindergarten.  There should be a regular shooting course, just 
like there's English and math, and you take classes in it all the time till 
you graduate.  You don't get a diploma (or GED) unless you can strip down a 
gun and put it back together in a certain amount of time, and you have to 
be able to hit a target reliably too.

It would make life easier for the military, would solve the militia issue 
(since *everyone* would be armed, or prepared to be armed), and just think 
how terrorists would feel about a country where even the little kids could 
deal with the bad guys.  I bet that kidnapping rates would go way down, and 
abuse problems would also go down too.  An added benefit would be that 
everyone would likely be much more polite as well - no more LA road rage!
       _________________________________________________
           Lif Strand * Quemado NM USA * www.fasterhorses.com
                               ** You speak, I listen, We talk  **


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