Letter: Hunters only part of equation

Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2001 | 9:42 a.m.

Due to recent news reports about hunting and wilderness, I am compelled to write to remind you that although fishing and hunting are a component of the wilderness experience, they are not the only component.

Too often these days I am hearing about hunters who act as if wilderness, indeed the public lands in general, are our personal playgrounds. It is time hunters confessed that we are only a part of the equation, not the equation itself.

Do not mistake true hunters for the yahoos who want to drive right up to a guzzler to shoot bighorn sheep. Do not mistake true hunters for the irresponsible louts who shoot corrals, road signs and fenceposts, leaving their casings behind. And please do not mistake true hunters for those who would tell you that protecting the habitat of an animal is bad for its management, for that is merely stupidity.

Wildlife management, such as relocation, guzzler maintenance and aerial surveying, attempts to create "healthier" conditions within wilderness (often this means "easier") to make up for the lack of quality habitat within the wilderness.

Whether we are talking about dried up springs from overgrazing being replaced by guzzlers, or trying to plant invasive species because the native species have been eradicated, wildlife management has always been a double-edged sword. It can be beneficial, and it can be disastrous as well.

The cornerstone of healthy hunting is healthy habitat. Healthy habitat begins with wilderness protection. Please protect wilderness, and let's quibble about wildlife management later.

BRUCE OLD