St. Joe River complaints

OZPA: you should be proud of the fact that you are a member of the web site that has the hunter who was being harassed by these poor innocent victims as a regular contributor.
PIGEON FLYER .......STAND UP AND TAKE A BOW.

Here is Mrs Davis

:December 13, 2005


Indiana DNR turning a deaf ear to mute swan killings
MICHIANA POINT OF VIEW

By CAROL DAVIS

While scanning the Outdoors section of the Nov. 27 Tribune, I spotted a paragraph in Outdoor columnist Louie Stout's column that jolted me right out of my leftover turkey coma.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources fish and wildlife managers want to "make it easier for licensed nuisance wild animal control operators ..." (what the heck is that?) "... to take or kill nuisance mute swans that are causing--or threatening to cause--damage to property, or that are posing a health or safety threat to persons or domestic animals, under a nuisance wild animal control permit while using legal means."

It goes on to say that "Mute swans are aggressive birds that often exclude -- and sometimes kill -- native waterfowl. They can be hostile toward humans, sometimes causing injury."

Give me a break! When was the sight of a beautiful swan ever a nuisance -- let alone a danger -- to humans? In addition, killing each other is what animals sometimes do. Perhaps watching the "Wild Kingdom" TV series might be helpful.

They have also stated that swans are not native to the area. Well ... for that matter, neither is the white man. Maybe we should all pack up and get out. As I read the rest of the article, the phrase "additional revenue source for the DNR" kept popping into my thoughts.

The real nuisance, in my opinion, is the DNR itself and antiquated county and state laws. Both allow hunters to hunt waterfowl in close proximity to heavily populated areas, endangering life and property. Both of my neighbors and I had close encounters of that kind.

I live on the St. Joseph River near Baugo Bay. Hunters have fired into our property to take a mallard next to the shore. There were houses within 75 feet and in an area where children often play. A young DNR representative who had been called earlier arrived just moments after the killing. He proceeded to tell me that yelling at the hunter not to shoot into my property could be considered harassment of the hunters.

Two weeks ago hunters boated in and set out decoys within approximately 100 feet of our neighbor's house. Shots rang out. The water boiled with shot as a mallard was taken next to the seawall immediately below their deck.

A DNR representative was also on hand soon afterward. He informed other people in the same area that it was OK as long as they don't shoot at a house. Uh, how can you shoot a gun in this area without the risk of hitting a house or a person?

It is obvious that folks down state are not getting the message about how people around here feel about this issue. It would seem to me that definite political gains are available for those folks who are willing to come down on the right side of the issue before it's too late. When an accident happens, as it likely will, who will have egg on their face?

The article also states that "The DNR will accept written comments by Dec. 2." That date has passed, but it isn't too late to tell them what you think. Send comments to Hearing Officer, Natural Resources Commission, 402 W. Washington Street, W272, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The DNR Web site is www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/about.

Carol Davis lives in Osceola.

When I was a Deputy Prosecutor we had some people like "Carol" that bought a few acres in the county after moving from the City. Opening day of deer season really got them riled up. They didn't seem to understand the first thing about firearms, let alone hunting. The Sheriff's Department laughed them off when they reported a "gun fight" at 7:00 am on opening morning, so they came to me. They wanted the hunters charged with criminal offenses for disturbing their peace. Needless to say sitting in an office with hunting pictures all around should have told them the response right off the bat.

Still, we're fighting an uphill battle because these people are ignorant of hunting. Although we can laugh all we want at them, don't forget that they still get to vote, and influence other non-hunters.

Todd

We got put through the friggin' wringer on the 3rd day of the season by an anti-hunting police officer. By far one of my worst hunting experiences. My advice is to keep your local CO's contact number with you at all times. Sometimes you need someone with authority to represent your rights and set things straight.

I'm just glad the local CO's took action and actually caught these people. There are so many instances where this goes on and nobody is ever caught. Kudos for the local CO's. Hey Pigeon, if I didn't live 4 hours from you, I'd take you up on that offer yesterday.

Nice Scott

No doubt,, we should all spend the money for a stamp and mail this letter to his PO box.. Just print it and sign.. I think I am gonna copy and paste this all over the place and have everyone print and sign their name... Then mail it to Mr Davis.. Once his PO box is flooded,, maybe he will get the point??

Bump!!!



Just who is harassing whom in this seasonal duck tail?
MICHIANA POINT OF VIEW

DWIGHT DAVIS

On the morning of Oct. 28, 2006, I ventured out the door of our riverside cottage with every expectation of removing the canopy from my boat lift -- a yearly chore. Much to my dismay, I was rudely greeted with what sounded like several shots from a cannon.

After hastily retreating to cover, I knew exactly the source of this ear splitting event. I had heard it before! Over the last three or four years, hunters have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the safety of riverside dwellers. They have fired directly into my property, just a few feet from my neighbor's sea wall and from across the river at our homes. One blast even penetrated a riverside dweller's kitchen window.

Yes, it's that time of year again when rogue duck hunters bring out the big guns on the St. Joseph River and fire at will into populated areas, splattering houses and cars and anything else in the way.


I will spare you the details of the story, but both my neighbor and I were hauled into court for protesting, she with music and I with a hand-held air horn. I have nothing against guns or hunting, but the irresponsible discharge of firearms by rogue hunters is unacceptable!

Indiana Department of Natural Resources officers had dressed up as hunters, parked their boat near our houses and begun to shoot. I blew my horn one time to let the "hunters" know that someone was present and my neighbor turned on her music.

About a hour later, I received a frantic call from my neighbor, a supremely good-natured young lady who has a serious heart condition and who has made several trips to the emergency room after stressful situations kicked her heart into atrial fibrillation.

"Can you please come over? The DNR is going to arrest me. They just about pounded my door down while I was getting out of the shower!" she said.

"I'll be right over," I said. As I walked toward her house, one of the three officers came at me as if he were going to tear me apart. What was this pillar of justice thinking? For all he knew, I was just the postman! This officer was shadowed by two other officers, who had misrepresented themselves as hunters.

Here is how this incredible story unfolded. The DNR went to the expense and the trouble to set up a "sting" operation to harass a very fine young lady (and a good neighbor) and an old man. Yes, as it turns out, two of the officers had misrepresented themselves as hunters while, on the other side of the river, the other officer (the leader) was looking through his spy glass to witness this enormous crime-stopping event.

For the next hour and a half, the lead officer was dogmatic, condescending and exuded "you people on the river" overtones. The message that came through loud and clear was that hunters were supreme beings who were privileged to rights not available to the average property owner and not being able to use our property was just our bad luck!

The other directive was from "down state." They wanted to see blood and it was going to be ours!

What would cause such a cataclysmic overreaction? Misinformation? Too much television? Job security? Or perhaps an egomaniacal outing by officers who are usually relegated to shaking down Sunday boaters for life jackets.

So, let's add a little insult to this injury. The head officer wrote up a summons for both my neighbor and me to appear in Walkerton Town Court at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Why Walkerton? And why on Thanksgiving Day? Was this the St. Joseph County hanging judge? Were the judge and the DNR lackeys all south county good ol' boys lining us up for a "traffic court"-type fundraiser?

And, by the way, who made the enforcement arm of the DNR our judge and jury? Their salaries are paid by hunter license fees -- a direct conflict of interest that needs to be addressed by our state government!

Here are the facts. Neither the "hunters" nor the DNR should have discharged a firearm in that location. Shotgun shot will fall in a pattern from about 1,500 feet to nearly 2,000 feet when fired at an elevation of 40 degrees. The river is 800 feet wide at that point. Lead shot is no longer used but metal matrix shot like tungsten alloy (heavy shot) is now readily available that will equal and surpass the distance of lead shot, and is more abrasive. When you combine that with a 3 1/2 in. Magnum shell ... Katie bar the door!

Since the DNR caper, the "rogue hunters" have returned several times, each time demonstrating their ability to maim ducks. On two occasions that I observed, the floundering ducks were chased down stream where they were caught, picked up by their feet and their heads were bashed repeatedly against a limb and against the gunnel of the boat.

Do I seem just a little miffed about this action by the enforcement arm of the DNR? You bet I am! Given the same set of circumstances, virtually anyone else would feel the same way. If you are as uneasy about the power of the enforcement arm of the DNR as I am, please write me at the following address:

Dwight Davis
Acting Director
St. Joe River Home Owners Association
P.O. Box 1131
Mishawaka, IN 46546

Epilog:

After seeking legal counsel, the venue was moved to the county court in South Bend. The case ended with a pretrial diversion, after costing us several thousand dollars in legal fees and a lot of sleepless nights. Who's harassing whom?

Dwight Davis lives in St. Joseph County.

I get p @#$# evertime i read that.