http://www.nationalpost.com/ne...tory.html?id=1083655

The folks in the picture look a lot like "Graylake" and his Erika...

not implying that they are involved... just the resemblance struck me... but then I haven't seen either of them in the flesh for quite some time!

Funny by the way how the journalist locates the ranch near Nanton, Alberta, as "in the rolling foothills West of Kananaskis". That would be BC in my atlas.

Frans

I just finished reading that article and am rather perturbed as "The National Post" is by FAR the best daily newspaper in Canada, look at Barbara Kay's and George Jonas's columns for examples of sound journalism.

I detest Kevin Libin, the guy who wrote it and have since his time as "honcho" of the neo-con magazine he was involved in with "Ezra the irrelevant" . I am NOT surprised by his lack of objectivity OR the sensationalist tone of this piece, it is much like publishing those stupid caricatures of Mohammed and pretending this was in aid of "free speech".

Libin strikes me as a lowlife who would write/publish anything to make a buck and while I certainly commiserate with ANYONE who is impacted in a negative way by ANY outdoorsman or activity, I found this piece VERY un-balanced and rather provocative...in the wrong way.

Write back, Frans and other Albertans and point out a few of the GOOD things done by hunters AND his geographical error.

Although somewhat overstated (thousands of hunters!...bullets whizzing through the air!) there is enough truth to the story that any public opinion stirred up by this article will not be totally unjustified.

I own a quarter section of bush land in central Alberta. I hunt on it myself, and allow two others to hunt on it also. I try to coordinate access so that there are no conflicts between hunters. My only requests are foot access only, and close all gates.

On the opening day of deer season this fall, hunters on quads entered my land without permission, and after racing about, left without closing the gates. For the first time in twenty five years, I posted the land.

Now, being a hunter myself, I know these yahoos are not representitive of the hunting community. Unfortunately, the general public doesn't know that, and the resultant negative publicity hurts us all.

I have mixed feelings about the Alberta Government's attempts to promote hunting. It seems the first ones to come back are always the slobs.

Already wrote to the editor before I posted here.

Trespassing and damaging property are an issue, but the inflamatory descritpion by this socalled journalist are too much... "bullets whizzing through the air"(around school kids no less), bellies full of beer, thousands of trespassers, hunters killing horses and rams in the reserve, etc... it's all geared towards reenforcing the stereotype opinion of many readers about the "redneck hunters out west".

I let the biggest whitetail buck I have ever seen walk this fall, because he was 20 feet across a fence line, where I had no permission.
I sympathize with land owners. I'd be livid too if I found damaged fences, signs, disturbed cattle, etc. or someone dragging out a big buck that I've been trying to "catch" forever.

There seems to be more at stake here then a simple case of trespassing or a killed pet, given some of the comments on the individuals involved that I've read here and on other forums. I don't like to see my name dragged down for the personal good of another. But I won't make the same mistake the journalist made, I don't know all the fact so I won't jump to conclusions.

Frans

What a load of... I honestly feel for the ranchers who do have gates left open and tresspassers. That article definately dosn't represent the majority of hunters. If more land owners allowed hunting the hunters would be so spread out that they would hardly even see a hunter. Alot of those rranchers down south don't actually own alot of land. one or two sections then about 95% grazing lease only. I can fully understand them asking foot acees only as vechicles driving all over the place will damage grass. What they also don't tell you is that they get royalties for all oil wells on their land including grazing leases, even though it is crown land.

Their cattle is supposed to be off all grazing leases by the end of October. It really annoys me when I hear that they want to be compensated for allowing hunters on grazing lease land. This is not theirs it is crown land. If they tried the same thing in Kananaskis where also many ranchers have grazing leases thaey would be laughed at and told to bugger off. It is only because there is not many hunters and that we don't have much of a voice that they can get away with it. Could you imangine if those rancers put locks on the gates to the forestry reserve and said they wanted a tresspass fee? How long woud those locks last.

They seem to be the first to complain when the elk come into their stacks even though they are ranching in elk country and never mind that their cattle have been grazing all summer in the traditional elk wintering grounds, no wonder the elk start heading east to get grazing.

Some of these ranchers maybe should consider six foot fences around their haystacks, allowing hunters, or keeping smaller herds so they are substainable on their own land.

Sorry for my rant.

The tresspas problem I think is a big issue. This fall while speed-goat hunting, I was amazed by the amount of times I was told by landowners that I was the first hunter to ask for permission to hunt on their land although there were several other bowhunters driving around. Many times the landowner gave me perrmission and told me that I could kick off anyone else there since I was the only one to ask. Of the 8 landowners I asked not one refused permission to hunt and one even offered to help

One thing that was minimally addressed in the article that needs to be changed is those landowners who do refuse permission to hunt on there land should also be denied compensation when deer and elk get into their hay bales IMHO.

Thanks Frans..

That guy does look like me....only I am slightly better looking.

Obviously!