|
|
Commission Urges Hunters to Exhibit Tolerance RALEIGH, N.C. (Nov. 24, 2004) – The recent hunting tragedy in Wisconsin in which six people were killed in a dispute over a tree stand has the public requesting information on dispute resolution from the N.C Wildlife Resources Commission. The vast majority of hunter injuries or deaths in North Carolina are due to falls from tree stands, and the Wildlife Commission has no record of a malicious wounding or killing while people are participating in a genuine hunt. “If you hunt long enough and often enough, however, you will most likely observe or become involved in some type of hunting conflict,” said Mike Bogdanowicz the Commission’s enforcement captain in charge of hunter safety. “The majority of the time, it is a minor conflict that is politely handled between parties who treat one another respectfully and fairly.” According to Eric Neuse, executive vice president of the International Hunter Education Association, the most frequently mentioned conflict discussed during hunter education classes is when two hunters shoot at and hit the same game bird. “Each hunter thinks he shot the bird and wants it included in his bag limit,” said Neuse. The Commission, working with the association, has developed some guidelines for resolving disputes that happen during a hunt:
Hunters may find it difficult to walk away, particularly in cases where they have paid to lease exclusive hunting rights to a piece of property, or they own the property outright. The Commission’s enforcement officers observe that claiming a piece of property is not a safeguard against conflict. “Hunters ask me ‘Does that mean that I have to back down when I have the absolute right to be there?’” said Bogdanowicz. “Bottom line, when we can’t work these things out politely, we all lose. Sometimes you have to be the bigger person. I feel maintaining your own dignity and setting a good example will pay off in the end.” |