Glad it got to you-and I assume you understand my "observations" were not meant as criticisms-and as your reputation for camera work is First Rate-I hope to have one of your calendars for 2009, or if not that, then perhaps Bro. Newbern will kindly sell me his 2007 or 2008 series after Xmas-I have some strange feelings about Michigan deer hunting in the Lower P. this season-and the "Raccoon Rangers" with our DNR- heard yesterday that a dairy farmer was cited and fined by those "Green Machines" for this: A semi-on the nearby road at mid-morning in Kent Co., one of the "big 4 Michigan Counties for high deer-vehicle Fubars" hit a big buck deer crossing in front- impact threw the dead and dying critter (broke his spine) onto the farmer's field, where he had recently spread cow manure- The driver stopped, no apparent real damage to the Peterbilt-and asked if he could have the critter-he even had a valid MI deer Bow tag in his wallet-which he showed the landowner- In MI you have to have permission from the landowner to retrieve any game you may kill should it end up on private property- farmer said "sure" we'll gut it, I'll just cut out a few backstraps, and you can have the rest-Why not, rather than save it for the hawks and coyotes- Now, apparently the farmer or truck driver was supposed to call a L.E. agency first and report this-but as there was NO damage to the truck-they did a "short-cut"-NOW- some PITA do-gooder passing by called the RAP 800 tip-line, three hours later two DNR "Gestapos" corner the farmer, search his freezer- they don't need a warrant-like the Staties and Co. Mounties do-so much for the Constitutional guarantee against "unreasonable searches"- the farmer, not thinking he had done anything wrong, co-operated and was fined $1000 for "illegal possession of game without a permit" and "banned" from buying a MI resident hunting license for three years hence. WTF-??
Two more examples of the "Dumb and Dummer" from Lansing and Director Becky Humphries' enforcement program. Due to CWD (maybe?) MI banned all baiting ofor deer for this 2008 Fall season- You can buy bait, but you can't put it out- A DNR female "Raccoon Ranger" cited a suburban property owner-he refused her "order- Seig Heil!!" to turn over and dump the rainwater out of a backyard birdbath- his property abutted some State Land- we have a bunch here in Kent Co.-and her view was- he was "illegally baiting for deer by putting out water for the deer to drink in the birdbath". Again, WTF??
My pet peeve with the DNR numbnutz is the "phomey" safety zone rule- You are not supposed to discharge a firearm within 450 feet of any occupied home or dwelling w/o the property owner's OK- BUT- that ban is ONLY FOR HUNTING- NOT target shooting. WTF? I can cause just as much harm from plinking tin cans with my Model 52 in your backyard as I can hunting squirrels with that same weapon- what is the difference? Also, NO standards are given for accurate measurements of that 450 Foot "Bogie"- survey marks- "Ball Park Estimates- like Dennis Cavendish gave in "The Great Escape" movie- and from what demarcation point?: front of the house corner- rear, what if you have a backyard tree fort/house and your kids sleep in it summer nights- is that then become a "residence"_ Way too arbitrary- Back in 1928 some fly-fisherman ended up in MI State Supreme Court and won- against big buck oil "wildcatters" Top Taggart of Big Rapids- he had tried to close off part of the Pine River for his own use-since then we have the "run of the river- 8 inch dia. log can float, it is open water an No Trespass aslong as you are in the river proper- whether in a canoe, waders. etc. What ever happened to "Common Sense" in this world?? RWTF
