The other day a group of us met for supper, an annual ritual after opening weekend of the regular firearms deer hunting season. Talk usually centers on recent happenings, stories and the occasional light-hearted jabs. Somewhere in between passing the mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables the conversation took an ugly twist. That’s when a guest of the group blurted out “I hate it when nonresidents hunt the same deer I am”. It wasn’t meant as a personal attack, but rather aimed at the generic non-resident hunter. He was a little rubbed because the adjacent property he used to have access had been recently leased by a group of hunters from Illinois. There may have been a time I harbored those same feelings, so I sure didn’t deserve to throw any stones. And besides, I’ve been on the receiving end of those same harsh sentiments a time or two myself when I traveled to other regions on hunting trips.
No room for nonresident prejudice
No room for nonresident prejudice
No room for nonresident prejudice
The other day a group of us met for supper, an annual ritual after opening weekend of the regular firearms deer hunting season. Talk usually centers on recent happenings, stories and the occasional light-hearted jabs. Somewhere in between passing the mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables the conversation took an ugly twist. That’s when a guest of the group blurted out “I hate it when nonresidents hunt the same deer I am”. It wasn’t meant as a personal attack, but rather aimed at the generic non-resident hunter. He was a little rubbed because the adjacent property he used to have access had been recently leased by a group of hunters from Illinois. There may have been a time I harbored those same feelings, so I sure didn’t deserve to throw any stones. And besides, I’ve been on the receiving end of those same harsh sentiments a time or two myself when I traveled to other regions on hunting trips.