Sunday, March 08, 2009
Editorial: Hunters and hikers don't mix
A tragedy at Cracker's Creek is inevitable if Radford council remains indecisive.
From the RoundTable blog
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Last fall, Radford City Council realized it had a problem on city-owned land in Montgomery County. Newly built trails brought hikers and bikers into areas frequented by hunters. Conflict was inevitable.
Rather than lead, the council chose to study the issue. Six months later, the issue has not gone away, and the situation is getting even more complicated and dangerous.
The 250-acre Cracker's Neck property lies south of the city, on the other side of Interstate 81. It was obvious in the fall that the city could not make everyone happy. Both sides have legitimate claims on using the land. Hunters have used it for more than two decades. Meanwhile, hikers and bikers built trails with city permission and at their own expense.
City officials thought they might try to split the year between users. Hunting seasons do not run all year, after all. Or, perhaps some other accommodation might be reached.
Nothing has yet materialized, and while council has failed to act, the problems have compounded. Trappers use the land, too, it turns out. At least two pet dogs have recently run afoul of their traps, resulting in calls to city police.
The trappers do not appear to have done anything illegal. Dogs running loose just found the traps.
Some council members worry anew about safety on the property and now also about police responding to calls outside the city limits.
New signs will go up, their fourth iteration, describing legal activities on the land, but that is not enough. Hunting, trapping and less martial activities do not mix well.
If council continues to procrastinate and tries to make everyone happy, eventually someone will be injured or killed. An arrow from a hunter's bow might strike a hiker. A biker cruising down a hill might crash into a trapper. A child rather than a dog might end up with a leg clamped in a trap.
As it weighs its options, council should heed Councilman Bruce Brown's observation that hunters and trappers have many nearby tracts from which to choose, but hikers and bikers have few wilderness tracts where they can enjoy isolation. If the city hopes to attract young, fit professionals, trail amenities would help.
Whatever council decides, though, further delay should not be not an option.
