Money ahead of safety
As another hunting season begins, its quite clear the Pennsylvania Game Commission will continue its goal of filling game commission coffers, while sacrificing hunter safety and exterminating Pennsylvania’s limited wildlife. Hunters are being led down the garden path blindfolded. Yes, blindfolded by your own greed. The game commission promises you the ability to kill all the deer you want as long as you buy their various licenses and stamps. We all need to come out of the fog and look at the overall picture.
Who needs more than one deer per year? During the 2001-2002 hunting season a German Township man and his wife legally killed five deer. A Luzerne Township so-called hunter killed eight deer and used the meat to feed his dogs through the winter.
Having talked to a number of private landowners after the last deer slaughter, I heard of at least 247 deer shot and left to decay in the field. The carcasses then had to be disposed of by the landowner. Many have taken to posting their land this year, thanks to the game commission policy, “If it moves, you shoot it.” Just like any other sport, the game commission has taken hunting to the professional business level.
Anyone who doubts this only needs to look at this year’s Pennsylvania Digest. This book used to fit into your license holder, so you could carry it into the field with you and have a general regulation guide at your fingertips. Now, it’s a 90-page catalog of regulations with no less than 117 paid ads. These range from hunting trips to firearms, clothing to video hunting games. I would like to know what they charge per ad.
Yet, not one word about chronic wasting disease. CWD is a neurological disorder. At this time there are at least seven or eight states and two Canadian provinces that have infected wildlife. It is not known at this time if CWD infected meat is harmful if consumed.
There is a lawsuit pending in the death of a Wisconsin hunter who died after eating deer meat infected with CWD. Until further testing is completed, this suit is on hold. Landfills in Wisconsin won’t accept CWD infected deer for burial. This should tell us something. Wisconsin believes it will lose $96 million this year if its hunters stay home. Does this serve as a wake up call as to why the Pennsylvania Game Commission has been so silent concerning this?
The game commission is putting the almighty dollar above hunter safety and proper wildlife management.
This is the time for all legitimate hunters to contact our state legislators and demand that they investigate just how the game commission is being run and where the money is. I think we all would like to see our children and grandchildren be able to go hunting in its pure original state.
John Dorsey
Republic
Thanks to police
Regarding the D.C. sniper crimes. If you are in law enforcement, at any level, you must be very proud of your comrades and yourself for this spectacular and synergetic effort in solving this unthinkable case so quickly.
We thank you.
Marion and Susan Rozzo
Hopwood