A New Land Use Ethic Needed

The Journal’s Friday editorial – “Take aim at safe, productive hunting” - it seems to me was one sided and missed the mark. The Journal confused the reader by pairing a discussion of hunter gun safety with the tragic trespassing incident of just a year ago. It chose to deny and ignore the real problems which had to do with trespassing and the need for greater civility on the part of both hunter and land owner. While the Journal article is correct that there is a declining pattern in hunting gun safety incidents, it missed both the opportunity and a critical public need to speak to the real issue – more and more hunters with less and less non-congested space to hunt in. It failed to mention the fact that the number of private property incursions is steadily rising.

The real problem is more hunters and an ever increasing number of smaller private property holdings creating more boundaries to cross, combined with an outdated land use ethic that encourages confrontation, exclusivity and elitism. What is called for is a land use ethic which emphasizes mutual respect and trust on the part of both the hunter and the landowner. It calls for greater camaraderie and compassion and less and less focus on both actors’ differences. The hunter and the landowner are both special in their common love of respect for mother earth. That is the bond that can bring both land owner and hunter together in the years ahead.