More From the Anti's, Anti Hunters That Is

From the High Country News:

By Robert Rowley

Since when did hunting become target shooting?

It started over the long Labor Day weekend and went on from dawn to dusk -- the constant report of gunfire echoing against the Organ Mountains here in southern New Mexico. Another dove-hunting season had descended upon us, and all lovers of wildlife could do was wait for it to end while so-called hunters blasted into smithereens as many birds as their permits allowed --15 per day, 30 in possession at any one time. As I listened to the barrage of gunshots, I must admit I wondered about the mental stability of those shooters.

Mr. Rowley continues on to call for a complete ban on all dove hunting in New Mexico.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of hunting dove with my father and his friends. Dad give me my first gun when I was 7 years old. It was an over/under .22/.410. Jay Boone gave me a hunters safety course, and we hunted on Mr. Boone's river bottom land. Hunting with the men was a time of bonding and learning. Learning not just how to properly lead a dove, and the effective range of a .410, but also of responsibility. Policing your trash, properly handling the meat and burying the offal are just a beginning of the responsibilities taught to a young hunter by an ethical teacher. A young hunter quickly learns that actions have consequences, when they take the shot, the bird or animal is going to die. A good shot provides a quick death to the target. The young hunter learns that it is his responsibility to ensure he has a good shot before taking it, he learns patience.

Responsibility, patience and ethics are all attributes of a properly educated young hunter. These are qualities we should be striving to install in all of our youth. Hunting is one effective tool in building character, and dove hunting is an inexpensive and easy beginning for young hunters.

So Mr. Rowley, forget about your ban on dove hunting. Outside of the tradition of hunting enjoyed by many families, there are the economic factors to consider. For the local economy, dove hunting is a very large tourist industry bringing in the big bucks to the local communities. On the state level, license fees are a major portion of the moneys spent on habitat protection and reclamation. It is hunters that carry the largest financial load of wildlife conservation and without this money, where will you turn for funds? So give it a rest, maybe get some therapy to help you get over your "rabbit" incident, and leave the hunters alone.