Letters To The Editor June 2005

Mandatory Hunter Safety

Dear GON,

Over a month ago a friend of mine was shot while turkey hunting (May issue of GON). He and two other hunters were walking down a logging road on a Hancock County lease at 6:30 a.m. listening for gobblers. All of a sudden they heard a shot from a high-powered rifle, and then one of the three all of a sudden experienced a severe burning sensation in his hip.  He had just been shot by a .30/30 round at 175 yards. The hunter, who fired the shot, was apparently hog hunting out of a deer stand and made the shot, allegedly mistaking my friend for a hog.

In my opinion there is absolutely no excuse for this act of severe negligence. Number one is knowing what your target is and what is beyond that target. If you don’t know, you don’t shoot.

I think the WRD and the state legislature should get together and discuss the merits of requiring every hunter who gets a hunting license in this state to take the hunter-safety course.

If we could make this requirement, and if we could save one life or prevent one accident like this from happening, wouldn’t it be worth it?

Best regards,

Doug Lyon, Cumming

Celebrity in Blackshear

Dear GON,

Thank you very much for the hat, videos and my outdoor kid’s frame. I was so happy. It was so nice of you to send me these things. Also, thank you for putting my picture in GON magazine. I am seven years old, and I want to have my own hunting and fishing show when I grow up.

Your friend,

Chance Thornton, Blackshear

Dear GON,

How can I ever say enough for the happiness you brought my 7-year-old grandson, Chance Thornton. He was so thrilled to be published in your magazine. If only you could have seen the brightness in his eyes. Today he carried the magazine to school. He is our small-town celebrity (I didn’t know so many read GON). At the ball field, everyone had already seen his picture. Was he thrilled? Yes!

Then today his package arrived — never dreamed a package was to come. Another bright-eyed boy. He loves the hat, so he should do some good advertising for the magazine. We do enjoy your magazine so much.

Thank you for making my grandson feel like a celebrity. May God bless you in your continued effort to publish such a fine magazine.

Sincerely,

Linda Lairsey Thornton

Litterbugs, Stay Off My WMA

Dear GON,

I was recently hunting shed antlers on Joe Kurz WMA. As I was making my way through a beautiful WMA that we are privileged to hunt and enjoy, I noticed a lot of trash showing up — beer cans, candy-bar wrappers. It makes me sick to my stomach that people can be so disrespectful. It’s guys like that that really make me mad. I’m sure other WMAs have the same problem.

You would literally need a dumptruck for all the trash I saw. I picked up as much as I could, but it was almost pointless when you saw what I saw. Let’s try to keep our property, our leases, our WMAs as clean as possible. I like to leave with more than I came with. I would like to challenge our hunters and sportsmen to pick up as much as possible, and I can promise you your outdoor experience will be more enjoyable. Take a minute to think about how we are blessed to hunt in a free country, to have the land that we have and not take any of it for granted.

Nate McCurry, Newnan

We Still Need a Deer Limit

Dear GON,

I am responding to “Confused” in the “Letters” section last month. I agree that hunters should harvest only what they need and can use, but there are a lot of hunters out there that think they have to harvest the limit and then some. They have to brag to their buddies about how many deer they have killed. A limit is necessary to protect the deer from these so-called hunters. I have sat in my stand many times and watched as a legal deer would forage its way by my stand. Watching this animal as it eases by will stick in my memory a lot longer than telling someone that I shot a deer.

Yes, I think a limit is very necessary to protect the deer population. I also believe the limit should be a lot lower than what it is now.

Mike Stone, Carrollton

Don’t Fall Into a Rut

Dear GON,

I can’t help but get a kick out of those hunters complaining cause they don’t see deer all the time like they used to. I have three pieces of advice: MOVE, ADAPT, OVERCOME!

I’ve been hunting deer for almost 40 years in Georgia and Florida and can tell you the deer herd changes every year. If you don’t have deer on your property, then find some property that has some deer and move. It may be a good time to check out some of the WMAs. Maybe even pick up a bow and try some archery-only areas that have little pressure and plenty of game. Yes, you will have to spend a little money and may have to drive and put in more time scouting, but that’s what hunting is all about.

Glenn Whittington Sr., Lady Lake, Fla.

High Limits Send Bad Message

Dear GON,

As for increasing the bag limit, Why? I live in Greene County, which once was the hunting capital of the state. I know a lot of locals who saw only a handful of deer all season long.

With the huge bag limit, the club next to mine blasts everything that moves, including one-inch spikes. They have a lot of teenage boys in their club. With this bag limit, it has given them the impression that they can blast anything they see. A lot of hunters are killing way more than two bucks.

Thanks,

Ricky Powell, Greensboro