Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 31, 1994 TAG: 9411120001
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL SCHULZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But overall, behavior of hunters in the United States is good and getting better, the league said in its report, ``Hunter Behavior in America.''
The report is based on a nationwide survey of state fish and wildlife agencies. More than 30 state agencies and 11 hunting and conservation groups responded.
Nineteen of the agencies said hunter behavior is better than five years ago, 18 said it was about the same, and only one said it was worse.
The agencies cited hunter education courses as the single most significant factor in the trend.
``This survey tells us we've turned the corner on hunter ethics; we're cleaning up our act. As a hunter, I'm immensely encouraged,'' said Maitland Sharpe, executive director of the IWLA. ``I based that in all honesty in part on the data and in part on hope and faith.
``I think we've made a great deal of progress over the last 10 or 15 years, in terms of identifying the problems, figuring out we were lost and finding the right track. Now we have a compass and we know which way to go and we've got some momentum.''
The survey found the second most significant form of irresponsible hunter behavior involved lack of respect for private land.
``A primary breach of landowner relations is a hunter's failure to inform landowners of intent to hunt or failure to obtain permission,'' the report said. ``Other breaches of landowner relations include disturbing crops or livestock, shooting too close to buildings, littering, leaving gates open, damaging fences and other property'' and other nuisance activities.
The third-ranked problem is poaching.
But fewer than 10 percent of respondents thought poaching was increasing. Fourteen percent said it has declined over the past five years.
Some agencies emphasized the need for strict penalties for violating hunting laws. These could include loss of hunting privileges and community service work, such as habitat restoration.
A majority of state agencies, the report said, consider hunters who have completed hunter education courses to be much more responsible than those who have not, both in terms of safety and in overall attitude toward the sport.
``There is widespread opinion, however, that the positive effects of hunter education on young hunters may wear off as they move into the community of other hunters,'' the report said.
The league has no position on how to solve that problem, Sharpe said, but ``we do re-license drivers.''
His personal opinion, he said, is that it would be ``in the interest of the next generation that may or not be able to hunt, for hunters to agree to periodic retraining, a little refresher.''
Sharpe said if hunters don't continue to improve their reputation, ``my kids, or their kids, aren't going to have a chance to do this because someone's going to shut them down, and that's not all right.''
by CNB