 by Cody Cowan November 08, 2004
She also addresses that opinions like mine give PETA folks new ideas about shutting down our hunting rights because we shoot too many wolves. Well sorry to say but most all of the Peta people think that all hunters do this. They also seem to think that if you own a gun, you are a bad person. I don't think that I'm pouting any new ideas into a PETA person's mind. I also think that my hunting habits weren't skewed by my teachers. I have had enough years by my self hunting side by side with a very smart predator to see what damage it has done. And it was my own decision to put my sights on a wolf and pull the trigger. I am 17 years old and I think I can defend my own decisions. You also state that you just cannot agree with my views. I know there are many people who do not agree with me. I see them all the time on national geographic videos drooling over how beautiful they think the wolf species is. I also only said that it's wolf season year round in my book. I never stated that I have had the chance to actually shoot one out of season. Just thought I would throw that out. Jessica writes that my actions are irresponsible and at the height of bad sportsmanship. My opinion on bad sportsmanship is shooting for fun. I'm shooting to maybe save a few little helpless fawns. I simply don't understand when you say that Southeast Alaska is a renewable resource, but yet you thrive on getting your word out on people like me. If southeast is such a renewable resource then why does it hurt to kill off a few wolves to help get our deer population up if the wolves are just going to repopulate anyway? And thank you for addressing that I never said if I hunt for sport or for food. For all of you people reading this, I only hunt for food. But in order to actually hunt for food, you actually have to take meat from the woods. And if your food is dwindling down to a few does that you can't even shoot, well then you have to solve the problem by trying to get the food that you're hunting and its population up as fast as possible. And the only way to do this is to get rid of the one making this problem in the first place. The only thing I have ever brought down with a bullet and haven't eaten is a wolf and it will be a cold day in hell before I ever do! Again you state that I never addressed that taking an adult healthy wolf is profitable if you skin and tan it. Well yes I know that already, that's why I have a nice shiny black female wolf pelt out in the shed waiting to be tanned. I will always have the nicer wolves I shoot tanned and try to sell to tourists. I'm sorry that the overall picture you got from my last comment is of a troubled young man who can't stand competition from another predator. My response to that opinion is if the wolves are my competition, what is the wolves' competition? Obviously we are not. They are populating faster than ever. The answer is they have no competition in southern southeast. we have no grizzly bears who eat their wolf pups, and we don't have our wolf bounty anymore. I strongly agree with controlled bounties and right now is the perfect time to open up aerial wolf bounty down here just like up north. By saying that I think of myself as being entitled to something above all others is just wrong. I just stretch my rights to what limit I decide. And for all you hunters shooting wolves out of season, "it ain't illegal if ya don't get caught"! I also hope that by quoting my writing as a "loony tune" you and other readers don't think of my writings that way anymore after this message because this problem is very real and if some people would just open their eyes they would see it too. But for now I guess it's up to people like me to get the word out. By saying in your last opinion on Sitnews November 3rd - quote... "As bad as I dislike others attempting to end hunting piece by piece one law at a time, I also see no value in a careless hunter that by their example of bad sportsmanship helps to erode a great way of life." Well I'm sorry you and maybe some others feel this way about people like me. But I feel that I speak for all hunters who hate wolves when I say that letters so similar to yours amuses us. So much it's almost like a type of entertainment. And if you insist of thinking of me as a careless unsportsman like hunter, will you at least think of me as a careless unsportsman like hunter that loves deer meat and loves putting it in the freezer? Please.... Cody Cowan
Related Viewpoint:
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
|