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Imagine what we could do if we would all get off our butts when challenges arise!
A few months back, I wrote an article about the very real need for hunters of all kinds to unite, and I described a situation in which we Florida hunters had apparently come out ahead. A few weeks ago, I found out that we were again on shaky ground.
The issue at hand was hunting on some of our state lands. The Office of Greenways and Trails (OGT), which had previously handed out pamphlets telling the public which portions of "their" land was huntable, had suddenly decided that no hunting would be allowed on that land. Hunters rallied at very short notice, and the Fish & Wildlife Commission (FWC) backed us up. Voila! Hunting was again open, as it had been in the past.
Just a few weeks ago, I became aware that the OGT was again proposing the closure of hunting on these lands. Public input meetings were scheduled, to hear from folks in the affected areas. I attended two of those three meetings, and the third is scheduled for tomorrow evening. I learned from those meetings that the OGT ain't so bad, after all.
The OGT has a problem right now... they have no rules! Without official rules, hunting (and just about everything else) is pretty much allowed anywhere on Greenway lands, because they don't have the authority to dictate usage of the land unless they have established rules. And enforcement agencies can't enforce nonexistent laws, i.e. whether hunting is/is not allowed. Another problem is that OGT is not, by law, allowed to manage game. Game management in Florida is strictly the purview of our professionals at the FWC.
Because of our strong showing last year, OGT knew that they didn't want to alienate hunters. Aside from that, these lands, purchased with public monies, are legally bound to be multi-use recreation areas -- but try leveraging that after the fact. The initial strong response of hunters is what demonstrated that we are a legitimate group to be reckoned with. Because of that, OGT has become willing to work closely with FWC in establishing hunting areas within Greenway boundaries. OGT's proposed ruling outlaws hunting on any Greenway land that is not a designated hunting area per the FWC -- in other words, it allows for hunting, and delegates the game management to the proper authority.
All this to say that a few hunters got off their rumps, showed up, and spoke up -- and it made a difference. Tonight's meeting was more a clash of horse riders and hunters than anything else. The equestrian folks showed up in force, ready for a fight. We hunters surprised the lot of them by saying that we're more than willing to share the land. Apparently consideration for others who want to use the same land is a concept unknown to many of them. Because of the strong hunter attendance, the horse folks weren't allowed to trot away with our rights.
The majority of the horse people present were very misinformed people, who openly stated that they're afraid of hunters, and they won't ride in the woods during hunting season. We were informed by FWC that their records show that no rider or hiker has ever been injured or killed in the state of Florida by a hunter, and hiking & horseback riding occurs in just about every piece of public hunting ground that we have. This fact diluted not the stoic ignorance so prevalent in their ranks. Emotions and ignorance aside, it looks like we hunters will not lose out in this deal.
Again, the reason we won't lose out is that some of us rose to the initial challenge. Imagine what we could do if we would all get off our butts when challenges arise! That means bird hunters, deer hunters (whether you use bow, rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader), hog hunters, duck hunters, any and all hunters. I prefer to use a rifle to hunt deer, but I use a bow, as well. I don't hunt deer with dogs, but I support them. I don't hunt bears, but I support bear hunters. I don't trap, but trappers have me on their side, too. Et cetera.
We all have to stick together, or those opposing us will nibble away at our ranks until there's nothing left. Let this positive story give you a smile, but let it also serve as a call to service. When you hear of something in the wind that may limit or restrict hunting or trapping, speak up! Get organized... our Florida Hunting Coalition (see edit note below) has been teaming up with smaller hunting clubs to create an efficient vehicle with which to defend our heritage. If you don't have a similar organization in your locale, start one! If you have one, join it! Let's get it together before it's too late for future generations of hunters to enjoy what we have today.
Divided we're lost,
Russ Chastain
One Year ago this week: The Purr-fect Thing - This turkey call kit is a great product for folks who use mouth calls often.
Two
Years ago this week: Why
Hunt? - Exploring the reasons why we hunt.
