Curmudgeon

It seems like another one of the tennis balls I tossed in the room became a "grenade". Enough racists have used the flag to communicate their beliefs that they have ruined it for others who may not. It's somewhat like the Nazis ruining the swastika. If someone displays what is commonly seen as a racist symbol, they must accept that some will see them as racist.

Yes, I know why they won't be brought back. Are social reasons somehow behind the article? Getting beyond those species that are controversial, how different are the former eastern elk from western elk. (I've heard red deer and elk are the same species.) Would it be wrong to bring western animals to NY as they did in PA? After several generations there will be selection for those that do well here. In a radically changed eastern environment - one that lost many species and now has many that shouldn't be here - what belongs and what doesn't? Maybe we could find a Eurasian ungulate that eats buckthorn and honeysuckle. It would make my life easier.

I certainly don't care. I was hoping to get back on topic. Failed again.

This fits well with the denial or ignorance that I see in many consumers. I had a long conversation with a USDA grazing expert on beef impacts. The differences in inputs between the best and worst practices are startling. Beef protein raised mostly on grass in a non-drought area is relatively low impact. Beef raised mostly on grain, and those that graze areas of low rainfall are much higher. Impacts from industrial beef taken to slaughter size in feedlots are huge. It is really too bad that so much meat sold as "grass fed" is actually just pastured - not finished. It has given "grass fed" a bad name among people who do not know the difference. For those of you who have food plots, the meat from deer eating corn is less healthy than deer eating green stuff and natural forage. Corn is the source of most of the Omega 6 fats in our meat. Green forage provides the animal with Omega 3 fat - the type in salmon and other oily fish. For anyone interested in this issue, this is an interesting article on the subject - http://www.grazeonline.com/landsalmon. A lot of the stuff they finish these lambs on seems to be what is in some food plots.

Bear seems likely. How big were the animals? Time to call DEC for a nuisance permit. If they aren't concerned enough, go up the ladder. Livestock is not cheap. If a beekeeper can legally kill a bear, why not for cattle losses.

Back in the 90s I had a skilled machinist come in for a job interview wearing a hat with the CBF on it. He was unacceptable for other reasons which leaves me wondering if he had been a good candidate, what decision would I have made regarding hiring him. Would I be a bigot for not hiring a bigot? Would I be intolerant for not hiring someone intolerant? So, even if we give him the benefit of the doubt and say he wasn't a racist. He was still totally tone deaf. When I told the company owner what happened, his question to me was: What if the interviewer was black?

I'm glad to see the debate about the Confederate battle flag. It was claimed by racists as their symbol a long time ago.

You don't need to explain anything to anyone. However, I think you are naive if you believe what others think does not affect you. Hunter numbers are dropping. Therefore, we are losing political power. Anti-hunters have significant influence with legislators - especially in urban areas. This can ultimately affect our ability to do what we want - whether that is enjoying a pastime, providing food for our family, managing over-populations of deer/geese/whatever. Anti-hunters apparently see recreational hunting as a primitive pleasure for blood thirsty atavists. Hunting is at risk from organizations such as HSUS. If not all hunting - since deer numbers are out of control in some areas - then certain types of hunting. The other activities you mentioned are competitive sports between willing participants with roughly equal tools. The argument, the analogy, doesn't work. An anti-hunter would easily see the power imbalance between someone with a high powered rifle and an "innocent animal".

The only bull moose I saw in NY was a youngster - 1 1/2 probably. He looks tasty though. I wouldn't have carried him out the five miles to my truck.

Right - someone can believe that eating horses is anathema but they sold it in stores when my parents were young. My father's family ate it during the war. Cultural habits change. Beyond the cultural differences, my pet peeve is people who have no clue that agriculture has impacts, huge impacts. While living in a city lowers your individual impact on the environment, cities are sinks for the environmental services/impacts of the rural world. Anyone who thinks they have no responsibility for those impacts, is no better than the meat eater who thinks they have no responsibility for the death of an animal because the steak came wrapped in plastic. Even vegetarians have responsibility. Do they eat palm oil? Is their food grown on almost sterile lava flows in green houses heated with geothermal energy as in Iceland? Not that the Icelanders have a clean conscious........................ I'm extra curmudgeonly this morning. Sorry.

The article you referenced makes no mention of how they determined eastern cougars are different. Taxonomy changes have been coming so fast I can't keep up. Splitters vs. Lumpers - I try to stay out of it. A quick google search did not give me any information more than "A consensus exists among wildlife officials in 21 eastern states that the eastern cougar subspecies has been extirpated from eastern United States." I think we can agree they were extirpated. Were the eastern cougars different enough to rule out reintroducing western cats to replace them?

If you can stay up that late. Northern lights are great. They should always show up on clear, long nights.

Yes. How else could it be? I've had arguments with urban anti-hunters who think that food comes from the grocery store.

My photos can't compare to Wooly's but these are fun.

Reminiscing on Father's Day this morning, I recall when my daughter was 15 wishing this thing had come with some sort of operator's manual. I had no idea what to do with it. Having lived through that period, she is now a wonderful, successful adult.

Some of you must be way ahead of us if you are able to count triplets. I see does alone all the time. The only fawn I have seen with a doe was nursing, and a day or two old. If I hadn't been out and around the property tripping over them, I too might think the coyotes ate them all.

I keep bumping them as I work around the property. Some can run really well. On Sunday I came across one while it was nursing. When Mom ran, it tried to keep up but was still wobbly - tiny too. It must be very young.

I think I'm the only bird avatar so naturally.........................

Really good question.

So, I'm not the bird you've been watching? How about if I do my Claude Raines imitation: "I'm shocked! Shocked to find pot stirring going on at huntingny.com!"

I plead "no contest" to pot stirring on Jade Helm.

My .22 is "in use" during all daylight hours during gardening season. It will be at hand and ready until the granddaughters arrive.

Give him more credit. I get it and I like it. We don't have to agree with something to like it. I like her use of metaphor. I especially like the irony when she defends you and calls others "pot stirrers".

me too!

Wondering if you take paypal. I'll PM you.