The Bayfield Bulletin, 1964-11-19, Page 8Page 8—Bayfield Bulletin—Thurs., November 19, 1964
RUSHY
TALES
by
ART ELLIOTT
ow
•
Recently in this column your
correspondent indicated that
his interest in hunting, killing
for the "sport" of the thing,
had diminished. It was a state-
ment of personal attitude, not
a crusade for or against hunt-
ing as a sport. It's all right
for those that like it. We don't
preach. We just say what we
think and hope the column
comes out as entertaining and
informative.
However, a, man in the gun
and ammunition business has
chosen to comment, and we are
glad enough. to let him present
his point of view:
KEN'S
TELEVISION
HI-FI SALES
AND SERVICE
Phone
356-J-4 Hensail
For Prompt Service
Reasonable Rates
The Bayfield
Bayfield, Ontario. • Attention: Mr. Art Elliott:
Dear Art:
Have just finished reading
your article "Bushy Tales"
with somewhat mixed feelings.
Frankly, I am afraid you do
more damage than good. By
this, I mean the effect on the
young people—you know and I
know there is nothing as heal-
thy, as invigorating,. as conduc-
tive to clean thinking and liv-
ing than starting a young boy
or girl properly in the sane and
sensible use of a gun. It gets
them out in the bush with
something on their mind be-
sides seeing how much mischief
they can get into. True enough,
I like your thoughts about
photography.
However, photography usual-
ly comes afterward, the in -
tive for hunting is something
which I believe goes back pos-
sibly to heredity, I cannot
properly explain it, I do know
I `still get as much (if not
more) pleasure out of the mon-
th or six weeks that we spend
in the bush every year with a
rifle, even though we do not
fire a shot all year, than I
would just tramping and trying
to take pictures. You haven't
the same enthusiasm, the same
drive and, game when you
have a camera seems to be ex-
ceedingly easy to get close to,
possibly because you are doing
the picture taking in the off-
hunting season and now, with
modern cameras and telephoto
lenses, it presents no problem.
When the an
d
is out
hunting, and I stress the
"Sportsman", he is not doing
willful daniage, he is preoccup-
ied with interesting, healthy
and exciting recreation, he is
physically active climbing the
hills, covering the territory,
stepping over logs and rocks,
keeping the eyes on every stick
and 'twig, every moving leaf,
watching the horizon, keeping
track of his location by com-
pass and map, checking the
ground for any indication of
tracks or game signs. Your
ears are tuned to hear the
slightest sound of your quarry,
personally, if there were some
way to train every young boy
or girl to take their gun in
hand, go out and try to outwit
the animals, which we firmly
believe are put here for man's
use. We understand some nat-
uralists' believe that netlike
balances things, this could be
so if all the white men moved
off the continent. A hundred
years from now when every-
thing was wreck and ruin, na-
ture might again balance things.
However, the minute the white
man put his foot on the North
America continent, nature was
out of balance, has been ever
since so man has to do his part
to balance it and part of that
is in taking your gun and har-
vesting some of the excess crop
of animals, along with some of
the predators. In ease you do
not agree with me, the Govern-
ment has tried this naturalists
idea on the Isle Royal, there
was a big write-up in the Geo-
graphic magazine a few years
back, how the wolves were
keeping the moose herd at a
constant 450 or something like
that and the wolves were not
increasing in their herd size
Christmas Gifts
Sought By
Children's Aid
A Christmas Bureau h a s
again been organized by the
Board of Directors of the
Children's Aid Society of Hu-:
ron County. This was done last
year with great success. .
The objective is to ensure
for all needy children in the
county a happy Christmas.
What is also important is to
prevent overlapping by various
either from 15 to possibly 27.
However„ this year there is a
very alarming note, they have
landed on the Island with heli-
copter and almost all available
browse is gone, these fine ani-
mals, instead of being harvest-
ed quickly with a hunter's bul-
let are going to die of starva-
tion, or; when they get weak
enough, that pack of wolves
will jump on them, tear their
insides out before they are even
dead and regardless of what a
lot of naturalists say, that
wolves only kill for food —
ample proof and evidence is
available that wolves simply
leave a string of deal animals
in their wake.
So Art, don't you think what
you should crusade for — and
this is for the good of 'the
young people themselves, is
more active interest in the out
of doors and we both have -to
admit the gun is an extremely
powerful incentive to get them
out there.
Other than that, we enjoy
your publication and look for-
ward to receiving it.
Yours truly,
ELLWOOD EPPS,
Ellwood Epps Sporting
Goods, Clinton, Ont.
organizations so that no one
gets too much while others get
very little.
Those wishing to give through
the C.A.S. should have all do-
nations except perishable food,
in to headquarters at Goderich
before the end of November as
boxes must be packed the first
week of December.
Money is most acceptable for
buying gifts for older children
as these are more expensive
and not many are donated.
Money, new wearing apparel,
socks, mitts, layettes, jewellery,
toilet articles, stationery, geni-
es for older children, flash-
lights, billfolds, Christmas
seals, ribbon, tags, wrapping
paper or donations of food, are
all gratefully accepted.
Only new articles can be
used as Christmas gifts but
clean used clothing and bedding
in good condition is acceptable
for the boxes.
Clothing Needed
Clothing for boys six to 16
years of age and girls ten to
16 is urgently • needed.
The generosity and co-opera-
tion of the Huron County folk
is again solicited.
The following names are
those members of the Christ-
mas Bureau in the Clinton area
with whom donors may get in
touch with regards to making
contributions to the bureau:
Bayfield and Goderich Town-
ship, Grant Stirling; Blyth and
Hullett, Mrs. M. Bean; Clin-
ton, Mrs. D. Bartliff; Hensall,
Hay and Zurich, M. Oesch; Mc-
Killop and Tuckersmith, J.
Doig; Stanley, A. Rau.
Federation Meeting
The Huron County Federa-
tion of Agriculture will be
holding its annual meeting on
Tuesday, Nov. 24 in the Com-
munity Hall at Londesboro. The
meeting will start at 1:30 p.m.
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