×

What’s next?

ALAN COHICK

Cogan Station

This letter involves two subjects: Silent sports and their possible connection to politics.

Silent sports are the nonconsumptive users of our woodplots, national parks, prairies, etc.

These are recreational activities, which include waterways, that could cause some harm or fright to wildlife.

Some of this human activity can cause stress to birds and animals. All these human activities are things we like to do in our time outside.

These activities include camping, hiking, mountain biking, trail-blazing, running, kayaking, fishing, hunting, berry-picking, running our pets, photography, birdwatching, etc.

The disturbances caused by humans in any of these recreational uses of the outdoors are scaring hungry deer to another feeding area, scaring animals tending to their young, flushing birds off their nests and even frightening fish from their hole, down the riffles to another hole. Just the breeze moving the smoke from your campfire can move wildlife off the side of a mountain near you.

Most animals live by their sight, smell or hearing. We recreationists might want to keep that in mind while we are using the wilds.

The impact of humans in the outdoors has not gone unnoticed, in fact, for decades researchers have studied and documented various disturbances. They have used on-site inspections, animal collars, GPS and Loran-C devices, long-range binoculars, public input, sometimes from concerned hunters and fishermen like me.

Now, how do politics come into play? With the Democratic party struggling to find something to replace the Green Deal for a platform. Just mentioning our wildlife, national parks, scenic streams, the environment, are much more amicable to our thoughts, eyes and ears than that multi-trillion dollar Green Deal.

I believe that, instead of being thought of as wackos, the Democratic leadership “could” be thought of as real American citizens if they think like this.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $3.69/week.

Subscribe Today