Swords into plowshares?

northcreek2624 · Nov 5, 2002

Just sold my Browning Superposed o/u to buy a rotary cutter.
At one time I thought I would never part with that fine piece but years ago when the pheasants suddenly vanished and now the Grouse are all but extinct in this area I lost the desire to hunt and hunting turned into hiking.
Today while working on my tractor I stepped out of the shop and was startled to see two ring-necked Pheasants standing as proud as could be,I could have gazed at those beautiful birds all day if it wasn't for my constant companion Chance( Springer Spanial)forgetting that we don't hunt anymore...Mike

frank_f15 · Nov 6, 2002

MIKE: know what u mean. as u know i am just a stones throw across the creek from u. back when i was a youngester pheasant and ruffled grouse were very plentiful around here. have not seen a pheasant around here in years, but do see a turkey on occassion(go figure). sold most of my guns last year also, kept a few shotguns, a few 22's and my sidearms.

TresCrows · Nov 6, 2002

It seems there are a lot of ex-hunters these days. While I back the Second Ammendment and have no quarrel with hunting done for food and sportmanship I too would rather look that shoot. I would not sell my guns, would never do that, some have been passed through several generations and I just bought a new gun at a Gun Show over the weekend but the likelyhood of it's seeing action against anything other than a paper target is slim. I suppose I would hunt feral pig or deer under the right circumstances but I have not been tempted to shoot any of my animal visitors which include many turkey and pheasent, the deer I really would not mind if some off them became venison. Great to hear that some wildlife is returning to your area for you to enjoy viewing. I have a wildlife caller/predator caller and I have used it to call in some coyotes and a bobcat, very intersting to view these animals up close. I am going to use the caller to see what else I can get to come in--all for viewing--no harm intended to them at all. J

looch · Nov 6, 2002

I haven't given up hope yet, neither have my two German pointers. I'm thinking about buying/raising some pigeons just so they can keep doing what they love. I couldn't care less about actually shooting a game bird - for me it's all about watching my dogs work. There's something about seeing a dog on point that gives me goosebumps.

I have heard that the grouse population is just beginning the downhill curve of the supposed "7 year cycle." This summer when I put the dogs out in the morning, I've heard pheasant cackling in a nearby field - way strange for here.

DocHeb · Nov 6, 2002

When I was living in the Cass Corridor (not the best part of Detroit, but it was within walking distance to school), a bud and I decided to go pheasant hunting an hour-and-a-half north of the city. We loaded up the car and stopped at a gas station at John R and Warren (just a couple miles from the heart of downtown Detroit) and filled up the car. The old attendant there asked where we were off to, and we told him about our pheasant hunting expedition. He just smiled, and said - "y'all going for them-there birds?", and pointed to the three roosters sunning themselves in the vacant lot next door. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Needless to say, we traveled our 1 1/2 hours and trompled in the corn and soybean fields all day, and never saw another pheasant. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

northcreek2624 · Nov 6, 2002

Friends,thanks for sharing your experiences with me regarding my post.
Like Frank I've also retained my side arms and some other long guns for home protection and plinking and have sold most of the heavy iron over the past several years.
Still belong to the NRA and won't hesitate to hunt if our present economy keeps sliding and gets back to the Hunter-Gatherer economy...........Mike

MDNick · Nov 13, 2002

I am an NRA member, was a treasurer at a shooting club, until closed for "environmental" concerns, and in general thoroughly enjoy shooting. I never was much into hunting and when certain critters are rare I don't see why people would want to shoot them.

In So. MD. (as in many areas) quail are not nearly as abundant as they once were. One day at the gun range some hunters were lamenting the few #'s of quail. Someone spoke up and said they knew where there were 2 coveys. Immediately plans were forming to go shoot them. As this is a rated G website I won't say what was going through my mind. It's like they didn't even realize that shooting the last 2 coveys (maybe, maybe not) in So. MD was going to reduce their numbers even more.

I am in no way anti-hunting (it is a necessity for certain game), and VERY much pro 2nd amendment, but I sure would like to see more responsible game management minded hunters. I know several, maybe even most, are, but sometimes I wonder if they have a brain.

TresCrows · Nov 13, 2002

While I essentially agree with you MDNick and the same things likely would have been going on in my head please don't buy into the anti-gun rhetoric that hunters are why some animals are on decline--the primary reason that animal populations go into decline is loss of habitat followed by chemicals. Also automobiles kill many critters--road kill--- and feral cats have a tremendous impact on our native bird populations. Hunting also has an impact--especially local areas but it is minor compared to loss of habitat in the big picture. Those five acre homesites we all got are part of the problem. Another consideration--evolution at work--all the dumb quail that used to peck about while you walked up and shot them are gone, there genes gone from the pool, only the very wary and sneaky little quails now populate the plains and they are very diffucult to find but they are there. It is possible to raise quail and game birds for repopulation of hunted out areas I believe. Another impacting factor not often spoken off is the Fireants--non native--that have desimated ground nesting bird populations in southern areas. Good luck. J

RanchMan · Nov 13, 2002

<font color=blue>Fireants--non native--that have desimated ground nesting bird populations in southern areas</font color=blue>

You got that right - along with other critters as well. Anything on the ground is at risk. Fire ants will attack & eat anything - especially young stuff. We've lost kittens due to them (talk about a horrible way to go) and I've even seen a fawn abandoned by its mother so torn up with fire ant stings/bites it was just pitiful (called an animal rescue group who picked it up, rehabilitated it, then released it.)

Another big problem is feral hogs. Most folks who don't know much about them don't realize that they are omnivores and have a major impact on native species. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://tcebookstore.org/pubs/L1925.pdf>Here's a link</A> if you already are using Adobe Acrobat regarding hogs along with <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/wildlife_habitat/pdf_docs/bobwhite_facts_fantasies.pdf> this .PDF link</A> for more facts & myths regarding quail if anyone's curious.

northcreek2624 · Nov 14, 2002

<font color=red>" I never was much into hunting and when certain critters are rare I don't see why people would want to shoot them"</font color=red>

MDNick,When pheasants were abundant here there were "sportsmen" who would shoot their 2 bird per day limit, take those home and go out and shoot two more.
I agree with the other comments about all the other things that contribute to game population declines but, "slob hunters" really take a toll on an already frail ecosystem.
I guess we are talking about two different species of hunters,true sportsmen and those that just like to hear their guns go off.....Mike