I strongly endorse the wise comments of Jody Enck & Ken Rosenberg asking for restraint in advocating for a ban on duck hunting on Cayuga Lake. Birders tend to believe that we are a huge beneficial community that can do no wrong. The reality is that the world looks at us with benign amusement. To set ourselves up as "our viewpoint is best for everyone" is a mistake. I am just as concerned about gunshots and disturbance of wildlife and humans, but I don't think we can justify a ban. While bird conservation arguments may be useful, it does not appear to me that waterfowl conservation is threatened by hunting on Cayuga Lake, as Ken has pointed out. So the argument becomes just "my preference against others'." Pushing for a ban on duck-hunting on the lake can easily be regarded by hunters as the first step in trying to ban hunting in the fields and woods, leading to acrimonious name-calling and the end of any good relationship between birders and land-owners, hunters and "real" people. A much better course of action would be to have a dialog with duck-hunters clubs and to explain the beneficial need for hunting away from shore and avoiding deliberate disturbance and flushing of birds to gain an advantage. I hope a reasonable course of action is chosen. Nari Mistry
-- Nari B. Mistry, Ithaca, NY To see my paintings, visit http://www.ArtbyNari.com -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
