Letters To The Editor October 2005

Don’t Shoot Fox Squirrels!

Dear GON,

Since my youth I have thoroughly enjoyed hunting, fishing and nature. I like to consider myself a naturalist (novice) since I have an interest in not only hunting and fishing, but I enjoy watching and learning about the various plants, animals, geology, and their relationships with each other. With that being said I believe that I speak for most outdoorsmen when I say that shooting a fox squirrel for a trophy is a downright disgrace.

Yes it may be legal, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s right. It is by far worse than night hunting, and in my opinion it rates right up there with shooting a hawk, bald eagle or owl.     

Repeatedly, you state in your article that fox squirrels are rare, while in the same breath you encourage people to pursue them. You go so far as to give specific locations of population strongholds. While doing this you forgot one major item that any hunter with a conscience would like to be informed of before starting out after fox squirrels.

In your article you failed to inform everyone that two of Flordia’s three subspecies of fox squirrels is on the state’s “Species of Special Concern” list. While it is true we are not in Florida, I can assure you that this animal is in the same dire straits here in Georgia.

How rare is it to see an owl or hawk? When is the last time you saw a live fox squirrel?  It is a disgrace to suggest shooting a fox squirrel, especially as a trophy, only to be mounted. We hunters do not want to go down on record as contributing to the fox squirrel becoming an endangered species.

Your magazine is great, and I am sure it influences many of your readers actions. Please realize this influence when selecting, researching and writing your articles in the future and please consider carefully the impact it may have on the fox squirrel or similar species populations. Teach your children to leave some seed for their children to enjoy.

Sincerely concerned,

Dale Deal, Statesboro

Big Bucks And Dog Hunting

Dear GON,

I very much look forward to reading your magazine each month. As a Georgia hunter, I find it very informative and entertaining. I am a dog hunter in Effingham County with a small group of Christian men and their families, so I found the article by Roy Kellett, ‘Marion County Dog-Drive Buck Makes B&C Book,’ to be even more interesting. Dog hunters have been under increased pressure during the last few years, some rightly so, but those of us who respect other hunters have shown that we can enjoy our dog hunting next door to still hunters if we work together.

I think this article will at least dispel one myth that dogs chase nice bucks away thereby eliminating any chance for a hunter to see one. According to the article, the buck was jumped by the dogs on New Year’s Eve and got away. However, the buck returned to the exact same spot the next day for the dogs to jump him again. I, too, have jumped the same exact buck several times in a season on the same tract of land. This is the exciting part of dog hunting… you never know what’s coming your way.

David Deason, Guyton

Is Night Hunting Next?

Dear GON,

Is it not a fact that it has taken years to educate Georgia hunters the many benefits to planting and maintaining supplemental food plots for deer?

And now aside from the idiocy of a 10-doe limit, the powers to be are suggesting that we legalize harvesting deer over bait.

If indeed baiting deer becomes legal, why should hunters continue to sustain the financial expense of clearing, planting and maintaining year-round food plots when we can simply buy a truckload of corn two weeks before the season? Also, corn has very little nutritious value to deer.

To the non-hunting public our image would decline even further.

Deer hunting in recent years has been elevated to the status of big business, but obviously in their ignorance, if DNR continues to be obsessed with ravaging our deer herd, the number of licensed hunters will decline significantly.

What’s next on their agenda, night hunting?

I might add that from listening to committee members at the Perry meeting, even before listening to public input, at least two voiced their opinion in favor of baiting. It was brought to my attention that north Georgia has NO representation in the already decided outcome.

Mike Wood, Oglethorpe

Baiting Won’t Hurt A Thing

Dear GON,

I have been reading about this dispute over this baiting issue, and I can’t understand what the problem is about baiting. If you don’t want to bait then don’t do it. If you do, then do it as long as it becomes legal. I personally don’t have a problem with it. Many other states do it, and they seem to be doing fine. Also, there seems to be an issue about the deer getting sick because a bunch eat from the same feeder. We are doing that now with supplemental feed and using chemical fertilizers in our food plots. If people are worried about the deer getting sick then you had better make another law — s if we need one more that only allows organic fertilizers to feed deer.

All I can say is let it go. It won’t hurt to feed deer or turkeys and if the bunny huggers don’t like it, they don’t like anything about hunting anyway.

Fred Smith, Lincolnton

Cover Opens Door For PETA

Dear GON,

I have always felt that GON does a great service to hunters and for the state of Georgia. That being said I have to say, ‘what in the name of HUNTING were y’all thinking with the cover photo last month?’

In Truck-Buck you tell everyone to take your time and get good photos of your buck. You say only good photos will run in your magazine.

We are all trying to keep the PETA folks beat down and then you go and put that type of photo on the September cover! I still love GON and will stick with you, but I think you know we expect better.

Jonathan Sisson, Clermont