Hunting Sense

From the wife

So, this morning we were having one of our (arguably) intellectual ‘conversations’, and this is the question I posed:

In our society, and based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, is hunting going the way of the appendix? Is it becoming something that was once needed for our survival, but will eventually become a thing of the past, something merely read about, perhaps studied, but ultimately dismissed as something humans once needed and now no longer do? And as such, are hunting advocates (perhaps knowingly) fighting a losing battle?

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Last week I posted that the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to uphold a ban by the city of Saginaw on discharging any type of weapon in the city limits. I also voiced my concerns of this type of ban catching on, eliminating hunting land in more rural towns. Well, the dominoe effect I feared seems to have already begun.

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I’m always looking for ways to get some scouting in, whether it’s on land I hunt or looking for new locations. From camping trips to hiking expeditions, I’ll take whatever opportunity that comes along to check out the game in a location. Summertime and hitting the water provides yet another way to do just that.

Lakes, rivers, and streams are often surrounded by either public land or private land ideal for hunting. Boating, floating, canoeing, and rafting provide you with the chance to find and check out some of these spots. Often times without ever leaving the water.

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How many times have you sought permission from a landowner to hunt, fish, or use their property for other outdoor recreational activities? If you’re like me, probably more times than you can count. How many of those times have you gained permission but only verbally with no physical proof? How many times has it been written proof but hastily written out on a piece of blank paper with very little specific information and only one copy instead of one for you and one for the landowner? Probably a few times, right? Same here.

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It seems there has been a new way found to eradicate hunting in Michigan and the state’s Supreme Court has given it their blessing in a 4-3 vote.

Basically, what the ruling states is that a city or municipality has the right to ban the discharge of any type of weapon they want within its limits. At first, this doesn’t sound so unreasonable, but when you look at it on a grander scale, it is very disconcerting. Let me explain why I think so.

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Yesterday was a big day. It was a day filled with firsts for our four year old. Those are always awesome and very camera worthy, so I thought I would write about it today and share a few photos with everyone.

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I have to say, this could be a case of fishing being hunting, but shhh, don’t tell the wife since that is an ongoing debate.

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Yesterday I showcased three articles in the Blog Hunt dealing with the Outdoor Bloggers Convention, which appears to have taken on the name Outdoor Bloggers Summit after a recommendation by Othmar. That’s a good name, by the way. I like it. In a reply to it by Kristine, she said if I had any thoughts on it, to post them up, so that is what I will be doing today.

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The Hunting Sense Blog Hunt is where I share some of the posts my fellow outdoor bloggers have made that really caught my attention. Well, this edition follows along those lines with a little twist to it. There has been talk of a possible Outdoor Bloggers Convention so I’m doing a special Outdoor Bloggers Convention edition this time. Kristine at Hunt Smart Think Safety is the one running with the idea, so I’ll start there.

Hunt Smart Think Safety
Outdoor Bloggers Convention

Matt from Bright Ideas Outdoors Weblog posted the above in response to my June 12 post. The idea of a convention for outdoor bloggers first surfaced, if I remember correctly, on Rex Howell’s Deer Camp Blog. It’s been kicked around in a couple of other places, including on this blog, but it’s never been addressed seriously. I figure today is a good day to do that.

So fellow outdoor bloggers, what are your thoughts about having an Outdoor Bloggers Convention? I’m willing to work on organizing it, if there is enough interest. I’d love to say that my company would be one of the sponsors but, at this point, that’s just not something we can manage financially. Actual money aside, the company would donate my services to organize the convention. We could also use my designer to design a logo and the associated logowear, since we all know it’s not a convention with out a t-shirt. I might even be able to sweet talk my way into some t-shirts and caps. (And possibly some cool truck decals for Gunslinger Matt.) So that’s got to count for something.

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This is a discussion Cliff and I have had several times. I maintain that fishing is a form of hunting. He says they are two different things. So, here is my perspective on it:

You decide to go fishing. You could randomly pick a spot, drop in your line and hope you get a nibble. And you could by chance catch a fish. You could also randomly walk into the woods, set up a treestand and hope a deer walks by. But [I’m guessing] more often than not, there is planning involved in both activities. You learn the habits of your prey, where they’re likely to be, what will attract them, etc., with both activities. Both take patience, skill, and a modicum of luck. And in the end, the concept is the same, [hopefully] — to kill something for consumption…or possibly display (you mount a deer with pride; you mount a big-assed fish with pride). The best times for both activities seem to coincide, as well.

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451 Press, the blog network Hunting Sense is a part of, has finally given the green light for each blogger to create a custom masthead/banner for their sites. I, for one, am ecstatic over the decision as I think a site benefits a great deal from such personal touches. It is something that helps give it a unique identity and increases the aesthetic appearance of the site.

Anyone who reads Hunting Sense knows that I enjoy playing around with Photoshop and seeing what I can create. In fact, I have already created a banner for the MySpace version of Hunting Sense (which has been sorely neglected unfortunately). So, it now comes down to a decision on whether to use the existing banner, or to create a new one; a tough decision considering how I like to experiment.

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Living smack dab in the middle of Ontario’s “cottage country” definitely has its benefits, but it also comes with a few drawbacks as well. There are the beautiful lakes and beaches, the grand provincial parks, and the breathtaking scenery and history. The biggest plus is the small and mostly quite towns. That is, until the weekends.

The weekly trek of “cottagers” from the big cities, like Toronto, is a phenomenon that simply amazes me. If I lived in the city, I would want to escape it as well, so I understand their desire. What gets me is that by them doing so in the numbers they do; they bring many aspects of the city with them so their plight seems a pointless one.

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I’m sure all archery hunters have found out what happens when we try to set the draw weight of our bow to a poundage greater than what we are able to draw back comfortably. I know I have. It was quite a surprise to me when after sitting in a stand for hours in the cold, a buck came in and I tried to draw my bow only to find I had to struggle with it. Needless to say, my macho ego of having a heavier draw weight cost me a nice buck that day, and taught me a valuable lesson.

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After the Mitt Romney debacle, it is surprising to see another Presidential candidate brave enough to claim to being a hunter. But that is exactly what New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is doing. Unlike Romney, though, he has some proof to back up his claims.

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Land is one commodity that there isn’t any more being made to meet everyone’s need. With the growing population and rate of urban sprawl, it is being used up at an ever increasing rate. Acre after acre of land once available for the enjoyment and use of hunters, fishermen, and other outdoor enthusiasts is vanishing at an alarming rate.

Now that it has become an issue of potential lost revenue, numerous states are sitting up and taking notice of this very real issue at long last. It’s sad it took the almighty dollar for them to do so, but at least the issue is being looked into with solutions being sought out on how to combat it. There are some ideas, but how good are they for everyone involved?

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