I don't get you at all. I wasn't criticizing hunting. I've hunted myself. I took exception to the 'beater' method of peons herding animals towards where the hunters wait at their leisure. 'Hunting' doesn't seem like the right word or phrase. Orgy killing is more descriptive. That organized driving of animals towards slaughter is more like a group religious ritual than men's leisure activity.
People who move to the country are occupying areas that were once open to the public and now have become private. We used to fish at a backup water supply for the water company up in the mountains, but the area surrounding the lake has been bought and turned into a development for vacation properties. This has been going on in a number of places, and what once was open to the public for hunting and fishing is now posted with private, private, private signs all over the place. One is now confined to the highway to just look, but that might be banned too.
To my way of thinking, only publicly-owned lands such as state or national parks are truly "public." All other land that is privately owned (whether sub-divided or not) can be posted at the owner's discretion. Like it or not, private property is exactly that.
I have to agree with ya Pete. We knew a hunting guide in N. Idaho and the folks he took out into the wild were people who hunted just to hunt. On the opposing side, I know a guy who refuses to get his meat from the grocery so he gets stocked up by hunting what he and his wife will need on his own fairly expanse piece of property. Now, as far as people beating the bushes, I suppose if a person can use a bird dog or a coon hound to flush out game, a steel pot, though much noisier, shouldn’t be too far of a stretch from using the dogs.
Agree. My brothers-in-law and nephews all have sophisticated cameras and other electronic stuff all over the timber woods on their farms. When you are hunting for food the ends justify the means.
In Maine, it is assumed that people have a right to hunt on undeveloped land that isn't posted otherwise. They tried to change that a few years back, to require written permission, but that didn't pass.
Well, people who live anywhere are occupying once-barren land that was open to everyone. It's all a matter of timing, and having nearby established population centers that are accustomed to "going there." But I get what you're saying. I think most of us here lived during a "sweet spot" in our nation's history...it's good to be part of "growth," but sucks to be here when it's "grown." In an effort to offset shrinking resources, the state of Virginia legally indemnifies you if you leave your land open for recreation purposes. For example, if I allow people to hunt on my property and don't charge a fee (meaning it's not a business), then I cannot be sued for any accidents that might happen.
You are correct about posted private property Beth, but the areas I'm referring to were lands owned by public utilities which were open to the public but were sold off.