Another year and hunting season
is about to come to an end.
Years ago, I used to send a
Christmas card to the Elkins Operations
Center to thank them for the
good hunting season we had for
that year. Christmas cards seem to
have gone by the wayside for me,
though.
A few weeks ago, I made a statement
in a column that there are
hunters statewide who have little
respect for these public servants. I
hope I will never end up with that
attitude. I come from a family who
worked for the government. My
father was employed by the United
States Postal Service. My mother
was a school teacher in Kanawha
County. At times, both were quick
to tell me that sometimes working
for the government can be very unrewarding.
I think we all know
there can be bad individuals in all
business enterprises from government
to health care. Some people
can be very derogatory to others
through their actions and verbiage.
While people can express their
opinions, they need to do it properly,
considerately and with respect
for people's efforts.
This past buck season, the harvest
was down more than 30 percent
from 2009. The wildlife
managers out of Charleston were
quick to admit they made a miscalculation
as to what they thought the
buck kill should be. A good friend
of mine who does not have a lot of
respect for the game biologists in
the past told me a few days later, "I
really respect them for owning up
to this."
All people who hunt should have
the same attitude toward the game
biologists who work for the DNR.
These people are human. Even
with today's computer technology,
they can and will make errors.
We are now in the early 21st
century. More and more people are
publicly yelling that sport hunting
and the killing of wild animals is
wrong. Here is another reason why
hunters need to cooperate with the
wildlife biologists in order to countermand
these unscientific and
emotional agendas. At the same
time, responsible hunters need to
call the Department of Natural Resources
Police when they observe
a serious game violation going on.
For example, when someone kills
a deer and just cuts a ham off, leaving
the rest to decay is simply wasting
game. If anyone sees this kind
of behavior, it needs to be reported.
We need to promote the youth
hunts in our state. I have often said
the youth hunts are important for
the future of the noble sport of
hunting. While I do not advocate
forcing any boy or girl to hunt, they
should have the opportunity to
learn the skills and enjoyment of
hunting. I wish I could have taken
both of my daughters hunting and
fishing more than I did. These two
sports are great when it comes to
bringing families together.
West Virginia has one of the
best hunter safety programs in the
nation with qualified DNR personnel
as instructors. Hands-on shooting
is now a vital part of the
instruction. Today, a youth hunter
has to successfully complete this
class in order to be able to purchase
a hunting license.
When adults start teaching youth
how to shoot, make sure to instill
gun safety. Don't be critical of
their shooting skills; just be sure
they are practicing in a safe environment.
Teaching youth the
proper way to shoot usually opens
a new world for them. Who
knows, they may end up being a
game biologist, natural resources
police or conservation officer, or
an educator who gives youth a true
picture of hunting. At least, they
will have some idea of what
hunters do for animal habitat and
the environment.
Happy New Year and I hope all
of my readers had an enjoyable
holiday season.
