Quick - name that duck! I went to a new (to me) decoy show this afternoon hoping to find a nice oldsquaw to add to the growing collection here, but was disappointed. Oldsqauw don't seem to be popular decoy subjects and I wonder why. I'd thought maybe sea ducks in general aren't often made, but bufflehead and mergansers are very popular. Anybody know?As shows go, this one didn't compare with the Tuckerton show. Very few vendors and very few nicely done decoys. So I came home with the wallet intact, at least.
;-)
First thing this morning I was reading an article in the local paper about duck hunting in the area. It seems like every year around this time certain locals get up in arms about something that's been done here forever. As a birder, duck hunting bothers me, of course, but the folks who live along the local rivers claim that it disturbs their peaceful enjoyment of their homes. I won't say anymore than that I think the issue is their peaceful enjoyment of the water and the hell with anyone else who doesn't own waterfront property. Enough said!
5 comments:
I always have mixed emotions about hunting. I feel bad for the game and am usually suspicious that the hunters are not observing the laws and ethics of the sport. On the other hand, in a way, I think hunting can provide a nearly-spiritual connection to our primordial origins and serve as a reminder to those of us who eat meat that our meals mean something had to die.
Our local CBC had one of the highest totals ever this year due to a number of unusual waterfowl in the one large dammed lake within the circle. The group who covered the lake found out about these waterfowl from a duck hunter who had gotten there at the crack of dawn, and was happy to tell them the exact location of each bird. He himself left empty-handed. A lot of guys go hunting primarily to get outside, and I suspect that hunter was one of them. In fact, well over half the active birders in our Audubon chapter also hunt for venison. I don't know if that's just an Appalachian thing or not. As for me, I'm not a hunter, because I'm too soft-hearted and lack the patience besides. But I agree with mojoman about the connection to primordial origins.
Hi Laura,
As a hunter and a birder, I'm sometimes on both sides of the fence. I consider myself an "ethical" hunter (if there is such a thing) but I've also seen the guys who go out there and just bang away at anything that moves and don't give a s#*t about who's private property they're on.
Around Rochester here, they've expanded the Canada goose season because there's so many of them around. Some mornings I'm out filling birdfeeders and hear shotguns blazing across the road. The downside of this is that sometimes the goose is wounded and then ends up in someone's backyard to die or try and live with a broken wing or leg. It's not always a good situation and I'm not sure if there are good solutions--especially as more people are wanting to get "out in the country."
There's my 2 cents worth. Thanks
Our local paper had an article (I believe it was an AP wire story) on a decoy-maker and how great business is for him. Now I can't find the link. Grrr. Anyway, it was a nice story and it made me think of you.
Mojoman: Yeah.. I'm on the fence myself. I've never hunted, obviously, but feel that most do have a great amount of respect for the outdoors and whatever animal it is they're hunting. And I agree that there's something to being reminded of where our food comes from.
Dave: I like knowing that you're too soft-hearted to hunt.
;-)
Patience... that's something that most of us don't consider. I don't guess it's very easy to actually come home with anything for all that time spent *hunting* - of the deer or waterfowl hunters I know, most seem to enjoy the time outdoors (or away from their wives) for its own sake.
RuthieJ: Thanks for sharing your 2 cents! There aren't many places close to me that aren't paved over or private property (NJ remember!) or park lands... so it's not easy to run into hunters unawares.
I don't know if you read the article I linked to, but I'm out there and I've never run into anyone hunting ducks in the local area - I don't know how those people can make their complaint about hunting or compassion for animals - they're concerned with their million dollar homes and water view, nothing more.
Delia: Well.. thanks for thinking of me anyway. I love the other show so much better cause there's always a few guys sitting around carving and bs-ing... fun to watch how they turn a block of wood into a canvasbacl or whatever!
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