THE PUBLIC MIND: CONSERVATION AGENTS ASSETS TO HUNTERS

To the Editor:

I was disappointed to hear the bellyaching of some the Illinois goose hunters and clubs over Operation Tailfan. It is difficult to comprehend why they are so upset with the Illinois Department of Conservation.

Anti-hunting movements grow stronger each year. The action of these hunters in Illinois is just the type of fodder they love to feed to their fires of righteousness in defense of their position. By breaking the law, hunter's should realize that they endanger not only their own rights, but the rights of us all who wish to pursue the sport freely.

Damage enough was done with the media coverage on the day after federal and state officers handed out over 100 citations for violation of the wildlife codes. At that point, it would have been advantageous to us all if the hunters would have just paid their fines and tried to comply with the law afterwards.

However, their reaction was to puff up and indignantly attempt to lay blame of wrongdoing on the conservation officials, leading to more media coverage, which I'm afraid only portrayed the hunters and club owners as selfish and stubborn individuals.

KFVS-12 deserves some of the blame for this portrayal. They intentionally sought out those bellyachers and presented no opposing views in support of the Conservation Department actions, presenting as a majority opinion, the comments of what I hope were just a few, disgruntled individuals.

Hunting is a privilege granted us by the government, just as driving is also a privilege. And just as drivers must take responsibility for their actions, so must hunters. Responsibility means operating within the law. Like the highway patrolman who protects the rest of us by stopping a drunk driver or speeder, the game warden who writes a ticket is protecting the resources of all, hunters and non-hunters alike.

At a time when our rights as hunters and shooters is under close scrutiny, we should attempt to work closely with our conservation officials to protect those rights. Getting angry and laying blame on one another is not the way to accomplish this goal. Our conservation departments rely on hunters to help them accomplish their task of managing wildlife populations. They are an asset, not a hindrance to hunters. The Illinoisans who complained obviously don't realize that without the continuing efforts of their conservation officials they might not be allowed to hunt, or even own a firearm.

Melvin P. Schott Jr.

Chaffee