Well said Peter. This is how a great many of us feel but we are too spread out and the Govt. has it's own agenda and won't listen to the general public. derf

MetalMan, its unfortunate your voice of reason has gotten lost in the emotional din.

Seems like 2 unrelated issues to me. I don't have any clout with USDA. Hell, nobody does other than Congress. What the livestock industry lobbyists want, they usually get. You don't have to look any farther than the conflicting practices on National Forest lands to see who wins when there is an impasse. Unless "Hunters who Wish to Hunt in Canada" organize and back a multi-billion dollar congressional lobbying effort, the actions by Canadian agrarians aren't going to make any difference.

The solution seems to be for Canadian land owners to push for a change in policy that allows for outfitters (or hunters directly) to compensate them for access to their lands. That way the people who are injured by the actions by the American government can at least partially make up for the damage by a new revenue source from those south of the border. Then those of us who don't have a say in the Beef argument can separate ourselves from the chaff. (And don't say that I am somehow benefitting from high prices for American beef - we Americans are paying those inflated prices for our hamburgers rather than paying lower prices for imported beef.)

I would much rather be part of the solution than part of the problem - and it is unfair to paint all Americans with the same broad brush strokes.

I could be wrong here, but I honestly don't think so. The issue has nothing to do with cattle at all. The U.S. is pissed off with Canada because we don't support them in Iraq by sending troops like England did. Somewhere along the line Bush has uttered something to the effect of we'll fix those bastards, and this is his way of doing it. The entire issue is utterly absurd. It will end when the U.S. decides we have something they need. Americans are among the nicest people collectively in the world, but I can't say the same about their government. Glad I came here 33 years ago. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Funny that they never complain about the oil, natural gas or electricity we sell them. Canada supplies 15% of their oil imports, we rank as the number two source of oil but if natural gas and electricity are included we are a huge supplier of energy. I just heard on TV there is a 14.6% surcharge being put on our hog exports next week. Free trade my ass. Time to turn the taps and throw the switches.