Al, Thank you for your perspective on this. As I reflect on the incident, with input from you, Sparky and others I find myself still not in one to condone baiting, but realizing perhaps a more reasoned approach to the situation would have been more productive. I think Al reminds us we've all done things in birding we've later thought twice about, and we perhaps need to make the same allowance for others.
By the way....a huge thank you to Mike Hendrickson, Sparky Stensaas and many, many others who post of the cool birds in the bog, and give such great information about the locations. You all make it easier for those of us not from the area to come in and spend a wonderful day birding. -Dave Williams Winona ________________________________________ From: Minnesota Birds [[email protected]] On Behalf Of Pastor Al Schirmacher [[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 10:02 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [mou-net] Different Perspective - Birding, Photography, Ethics Allow me to share a bit of a different perspective on this issue. Those of you who know me (or those who read email addresses) know my vocation: I am an evangelical pastor (please do not translate that into "raging fundamentalist", the stereotype doesn't fit well) & former businessman. I came late to birding (mid-30's) and even later to environmental/nature care contemplation (late 40's), so be aware that this is all still "under development". I am currently teaching environmental ethics & concerns as part of an overall course, while learning on the fly. Personally I find a solid foundation for such discussions and action in the Judaeo-Christian, biblical concept of stewardship. The concept includes ruling/management and service/care - for those of you who are interested, I can provide some references & sources. Unfortunately, the concept has also taken serious hits through historical Western cultural abuses on one side and significant treatises on the other (such as White's in 1967). Enough background for the moment. Should we bait birds for photography (or pish during certain seasons, or play tapes to attract rare species, or harvest natural products when impact is inevitable, or a hundred other significant issues) is impacted by our underlying beliefs, our knowledge and experience, and by our motivations/desires. These are often in conflict with each other. For me - and for many thoughtful Christians who have been reexamining the issue for the last 20 years (see www.creationcare.org) - the concept of stewardship, of managing/serving/caring - when combined with knowledge & experience - while checking our motivations (eg, Sparky's selfishness thoughts, well expressed) - helps me to make decisions in the field. Those decisions have not always been correct. Sometimes I have stepped over a boundary I should not have, through selfishness or ignorance or peer pressure. Forgiveness (on a variety of levels) and personal growth are essential. So, would I have baited the Northern Hawk Owl for photography purposes? Probably not. As I internalize the event, I perceive that the possibilities for personal hastiness, selfishness and ignorance - ignorance of the true impact of my behavior on the bird (which I'd seen on Saturday as well) and its kind - cause enough questions for me to hold off. However, I would also be willing to listen to the North Dakota photographer's rationale (which we haven't heard), to see if my understanding is incorrect. My perspective, which is perhaps a bit different in our increasingly secular culture. Much more could be said. Thanks for reading this far. Excellent birding to all! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
