Thursday, August 02, 2007
Hunters of all kinds need to stick together
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: I take issue with some of your comments in the deer dog article. Where do you come up with the idea that dog hunters have “swagger” as you state in your opener “Dog hunters destined to lose some of their swagger.” Then you state an “attitude adjustment” is not all bad for those inside and outside the sport.
I know firsthand from the issues bear hunters had several years ago that some things need to change and changes are in process.
If you had read the posts on the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Web site you would see that most of the real “hate mail” came not from dog hunters but the new landowners that talked of shooting dogs, removing collars and talking of dogs they couldn't even be sure that weren't strays much less hunting dogs.
Ninety percent of the issues discussed are already against the law so why not let the law handle the offenses, but, no, the anti-doggers said the law would not respond. Is this panel going to address this issue?
I do think there are issues doggers of all types need to correct, but for a long-time outdoors writer to use terms like “swagger,” “attitude adjustment” and “king of the hill status” in a negative manner is not only un-professional but arrogant. In this day and time hunters need to stick together or we will all perish. When that happens there be no need for a game department, wildlife biologists or outdoor writers, either. Most importantly, the animals, that mean far more to hunters than to the anti's, will suffer.
I respectfully request that you portray dog hunters in a more positive light when you write your next article, if you can't be positive at least don't be negative.
RICHARD SPRINKLE
BILL: I enjoy reading your articles, as I'm an outdoorsman myself. I had read a few older articles that Gander Mountain had plans of building a store in the Roanoke area. Well, I e-mailed them about their plans and was told that Roanoke is not on the list of store opening through the end of the year.
Do you have any info as to why they decided not to come to Roanoke ?
DONNIE WRIGHT
DONNIE: I sent your question to Doug Chittum, of the Roanoke County Economic Development Office. His response:
“Gander tells me that they do not discuss these issues with the general public, and that until they have signed a lease on a specific project and it has gained all regulatory approvals, they simply say what they told your reader.
“Due to the challenges of the site, the project has taken awhile to get off the ground, and with time delays, questions usually emerge.
Their site plan is in the final stages of approval. The developer is due to close next week.”
BILL
