scooter
04-28-2008, 01:22 PM
PUBLICATION: Times & Transcript (Moncton)
DATE: 2008.03.18
SECTION: Sports
PAGE: B4
BYLINE: Everett Mosher Outdoor life
WORD COUNT: 989
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Sunday hunting decision good compromise
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The announcement that the Department of Natural Resources would allow Sunday hunting for three weekends per year starting this fall was met with a wide diversity of responses. There were those who were against all hunting on Sunday, and those that were hunters and wanted Sunday hunting allowed throughout all hunting seasons.
In choosing the period of Oct. 28 to Nov. 17 inclusive, the Minister of Natural Resources, the Hon. Donald Arseneault, has made a very astute decision, clearly indicating, considering the pros and cons, that this is the best possible choice under the circumstances.
To take a closer look at all aspects of this, we first look at the calendar, and notice that Nov. 2, 9, and 16 are the dates on which Sunday hunting will be allowed. The main complaint against hunting on Sunday has been from people that said they wanted at least one day each week during the fall when they could walk in the woods, and not worry about being shot by hunters. For most of those folks, it's so they can see the autumn foliage in all its glory. This they can still do this fall during the entire month of October.
By Sunday, Nov. 2 that fall foliage has either fallen, or is looking so raggedy that it is no longer attractive to the eye. Hence it's much less likely that those folks would be in the woods during November, even if Sunday hunting were not allowed.
These people have a fear (phobia) of being shot. There are scientific terms to describe a fear of spiders, snakes, heights, confined spaces, the dark, flying, etc., and even a fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of one's mouth, called arachibutyrophobia. For those people that don't want Sunday hunting due to a fear of being shot, the correct term is: ballistophobia -- a fear of missiles or being shot.
Yet over the last 50 years, while on a few rare occasions one New Brunswick hunter has accidentally shot another hunter, nowhere in the stats have I found or can recall an instance where a non-hunter was shot by a hunter while walking in the woods. Yet every year close to 100 people die on New Brunswick highways. Over the last 50 years best guess is that approximately 5,000 have died on the highways, versus zero deaths for those walking in the woods. We can therefore say with a great deal of certainty that the trip on the highway to and from the woods is, by a very major factor, much more dangerous that any walk in the woods during hunting season.
Another factor, and this is also what other hunters will also say, is that while hunting for deer or other game such as grouse, it's relatively rare to see hikers or others in the woods that are not hunters. At other times of the year during which many hours are spent in the woods, it's only been very, very infrequently that I have come across other people. The few that are seen are usually those riding ATVs, and are clearly not out there just for a walk.
The other exceptions are the woods workers, yet those workers clearly define where they are by means of warning signs, and by the sound of their machinery or their chain saws, with hunters staying well clear of those work areas as required by law.
Thus the only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that those that go for a walk in the woods in the fall or at other times are not that many, yet are very vocal in making their concerns felt.
We should also point out that throughout New Brunswick we have numerous parks and other woodland areas where hunting is not allowed, and where one can fully enjoy the autumn foliage. Mapleton Park in Moncton and the Irishtown Nature Park are but two examples.
There are also those that are against Sunday hunting due to their religious belief that Sunday should be a day or rest. They must find that difficult, as if this was strictly enforced all hospitals and other essential services such as police, etc. would close up shop on Sunday.
Then too, it would mean no television, radio, restaurants, gas bars, no one to man the hydro generating plants, including Point Lepreau, etc, etc. We note that the population percentages in Canada are changing, with many new immigrants having other religious beliefs where Sunday is not considered as a day of rest.
In choosing the period Oct. 28 to Nov. 17 there are other factors that come into play that hunters and non-hunter alike may not have considered, but Natural Resources has taken into account.
In the year 2012, Oct. 28 will fall on a Sunday, which, for the first time, would allow Sunday hunting to occur during a small part of the month of October. Presumably before 2012 the decision will be made to either extent the period in which hunting is allowed on Sunday, or do away with it entirely.
Another factor is that with three extra days added to the deer season, it's possible that in order to continue to conserve and grow the deer herd, the season could conceivably be cut to three weeks. The suggestion then would be that instead of starting on a Monday, start the previous Saturday, and finish on the last Sunday, and thus would almost equal our current four weeks, yet that would include four Sundays.
My belief is that Sunday hunting will cause scarcely a ripple in the fabric of our province and its residents, and that, like our varmint season that was at first the subject of much fear and protest, will soon be an acceptable part of life in New Brunswick, just as it is in almost all states in the United States and in all provinces and territories of Canada except P.E.I and Nova Scotia.
n Everett Mosher is a Sackville-based writer and avid putdoorsman. His column appears on Tuesday.
DATE: 2008.03.18
SECTION: Sports
PAGE: B4
BYLINE: Everett Mosher Outdoor life
WORD COUNT: 989
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday hunting decision good compromise
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The announcement that the Department of Natural Resources would allow Sunday hunting for three weekends per year starting this fall was met with a wide diversity of responses. There were those who were against all hunting on Sunday, and those that were hunters and wanted Sunday hunting allowed throughout all hunting seasons.
In choosing the period of Oct. 28 to Nov. 17 inclusive, the Minister of Natural Resources, the Hon. Donald Arseneault, has made a very astute decision, clearly indicating, considering the pros and cons, that this is the best possible choice under the circumstances.
To take a closer look at all aspects of this, we first look at the calendar, and notice that Nov. 2, 9, and 16 are the dates on which Sunday hunting will be allowed. The main complaint against hunting on Sunday has been from people that said they wanted at least one day each week during the fall when they could walk in the woods, and not worry about being shot by hunters. For most of those folks, it's so they can see the autumn foliage in all its glory. This they can still do this fall during the entire month of October.
By Sunday, Nov. 2 that fall foliage has either fallen, or is looking so raggedy that it is no longer attractive to the eye. Hence it's much less likely that those folks would be in the woods during November, even if Sunday hunting were not allowed.
These people have a fear (phobia) of being shot. There are scientific terms to describe a fear of spiders, snakes, heights, confined spaces, the dark, flying, etc., and even a fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of one's mouth, called arachibutyrophobia. For those people that don't want Sunday hunting due to a fear of being shot, the correct term is: ballistophobia -- a fear of missiles or being shot.
Yet over the last 50 years, while on a few rare occasions one New Brunswick hunter has accidentally shot another hunter, nowhere in the stats have I found or can recall an instance where a non-hunter was shot by a hunter while walking in the woods. Yet every year close to 100 people die on New Brunswick highways. Over the last 50 years best guess is that approximately 5,000 have died on the highways, versus zero deaths for those walking in the woods. We can therefore say with a great deal of certainty that the trip on the highway to and from the woods is, by a very major factor, much more dangerous that any walk in the woods during hunting season.
Another factor, and this is also what other hunters will also say, is that while hunting for deer or other game such as grouse, it's relatively rare to see hikers or others in the woods that are not hunters. At other times of the year during which many hours are spent in the woods, it's only been very, very infrequently that I have come across other people. The few that are seen are usually those riding ATVs, and are clearly not out there just for a walk.
The other exceptions are the woods workers, yet those workers clearly define where they are by means of warning signs, and by the sound of their machinery or their chain saws, with hunters staying well clear of those work areas as required by law.
Thus the only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that those that go for a walk in the woods in the fall or at other times are not that many, yet are very vocal in making their concerns felt.
We should also point out that throughout New Brunswick we have numerous parks and other woodland areas where hunting is not allowed, and where one can fully enjoy the autumn foliage. Mapleton Park in Moncton and the Irishtown Nature Park are but two examples.
There are also those that are against Sunday hunting due to their religious belief that Sunday should be a day or rest. They must find that difficult, as if this was strictly enforced all hospitals and other essential services such as police, etc. would close up shop on Sunday.
Then too, it would mean no television, radio, restaurants, gas bars, no one to man the hydro generating plants, including Point Lepreau, etc, etc. We note that the population percentages in Canada are changing, with many new immigrants having other religious beliefs where Sunday is not considered as a day of rest.
In choosing the period Oct. 28 to Nov. 17 there are other factors that come into play that hunters and non-hunter alike may not have considered, but Natural Resources has taken into account.
In the year 2012, Oct. 28 will fall on a Sunday, which, for the first time, would allow Sunday hunting to occur during a small part of the month of October. Presumably before 2012 the decision will be made to either extent the period in which hunting is allowed on Sunday, or do away with it entirely.
Another factor is that with three extra days added to the deer season, it's possible that in order to continue to conserve and grow the deer herd, the season could conceivably be cut to three weeks. The suggestion then would be that instead of starting on a Monday, start the previous Saturday, and finish on the last Sunday, and thus would almost equal our current four weeks, yet that would include four Sundays.
My belief is that Sunday hunting will cause scarcely a ripple in the fabric of our province and its residents, and that, like our varmint season that was at first the subject of much fear and protest, will soon be an acceptable part of life in New Brunswick, just as it is in almost all states in the United States and in all provinces and territories of Canada except P.E.I and Nova Scotia.
n Everett Mosher is a Sackville-based writer and avid putdoorsman. His column appears on Tuesday.