I wrote a message earlier, where i mention, is not OK to bird in the NOT
SAFTY ZONE. The Hunter have the right to HUNT to the 17th of Jan.I fully
anderstand, this time once a year the Hunter can use all the Game Refuge,
where it is posted.Part of Nisqualy Refuge is completly bocked of, and
Birders dont complain there, we exept that it is close.
Ruth Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net

----------
> From: duncanweber <duncanweber at seanet.com>
> To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Skagit "Game Range"
> Date: Saturday, January 03, 1998 2:48 PM
>
> Jerry,
>
> Thanks for your post about the transition in Texas to a more birder
> friendly Game Department. Having just come back from a bad experience at

> the Skagit Game Refuge it was timely. The government official we ran
> into (perhaps the same one who talked to Ruth) was not happy about all
> the birders on the refuge. He was obviously biased toward the needs of
> the hunters and couldn't understand why we just didn't go bird somewhere
> else. Explaining that the Green tailed Towhee was here and not at some
> other destination in Skagit got no where with him. He implied that he
> has gotten so many complaints from hunters about birders disrupting their

> hunting by chasing their birds away, that the department would probably
> just have to close the area to everybody but hunters during hunting
> season.
>
> I got quite depressed after that encounter. I think you are right that
> it will take a few active and vocal birders to begin to turn this around.

>
> Ileen Weber
>
>
>
>
> Seattle WA
> duncanweber at seanet.com