You know, although I switched from hunting with guns to hunting with cameras years ago, I respect the right of anyone who wants to, to get up in the middle of the night, dress in camo clothing, and chase the wild animal of their choice. It’s a time-honored tradition in the west and a large part of our heritage.
On the other hand, if there’s one thing I can’t tolerate in any degree it’s so-called “hunters” who feel they are somehow above the rules the rest of us play by. Last week park rangers in Grand Teton National Park arrested two men for attempting to poach an elk in the park. Really. Where’s the challenge in walking up to an elk in a place where they’re not afraid of people, and sticking it with an arrow?
In my estimation, these people are not hunters — they are thieves. Anyone who stoops low enough to hunt in a national park is a loser and the hunting community should be outraged by this behavior. Not only are these people not honorable in any way, they give the rest of us a bad name.
If you come to Idaho to hunt or fish, do so according to the regulations. If you think you’re just too weak of character to do that, go hunt somewhere else — you’re not welcome here. Our game is managed and our herds are growing. These animals are a treasured resource in Idaho and there is no room here for someone who thinks they’re above the law. So if you’re a hunter or fisherman who believes in chasing your quarry according to the rules and regulations, we welcome you with open arms. If not . . . we look forward to having you ply your craft elsewhere. ‘nough said.
With summer coming to a close and the fall chill in the air, an otherwise pretty bleak real estate season is drawing its last breaths as well. Sales were slow this summer as the economy put a damper on second homes, and people who really wanted to sell are faced with carrying their properties for another year.
The archery season elk hunt in Island Park is off to a fairly slow start this year. It’s been warm and the elk haven’t started bugling in earnest yet, making them difficult to find. There seems to have been more hunters this year than in years past, but that’s just my observation and not a scientific opinion. For the hunt to really take off, we’re going to need a three or four really hard freezes in a row to get things moving.
I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. The Ashton / Island Park ranger district is seeking public input on ATV and off-road-vehicle use in the Island Park area. I’m really torn on this one. I really like being free to go where I want on my four wheeler. I ride these trails virtually every day in the summer and I enjoy watching the wildlife and and wildflowers as I go.
You know, we always complain about bad service when someone doesn’t treat us right, but we don’t always talk about the good service we receive. So in the interest of keeping the playing field level, I want to report some examples of great service.
The fishing has slowed down quite a bit over the last few days. (Actually the fishing is as good as it ever was, but the catching hasn’t been that hot.) With daytime highs near 80 degrees for a couple of weeks now, and with thousands of people fishing over the holiday weekend, things aren’t what they were a few weeks ago.
If you love Island Park, and I know you do or you wouldn’t be reading this, consider volunteering for one of the many cleanup opportunities in the area. The Henry’s Fork Foundation just sponsored a cleanup of the stretch of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake that runs through Island Park and they did a tremendous work. Cleaning up both in and around the river made a better situation for everyone.
Hello. My name’s Allan and I’m an environmentalist. Wow! That was pretty easy. Now I’m out of the closet. As an environmentalist, I can honestly say I love this land. I’ve chosen to live here and I want to protect it. I want my children and grand children to enjoy things just like I have. But as a budding environmentalist I haven’t developed the full fervor of my eco-terrorist, plants and animals before people paradigm. But I do have a few good ideas of my own.
Island Park has been a winter playground for more years than snowmobiles have been around. It is a mecca for snowmobilers all around the country. In spite of the claims on the Utah license plates, Idaho has the best snowmobiling snow that ever fell on a mountain (hence all the Utah license plates here in the winter.)
As another installment of our Makin’ The Loop series, today’s loop is the longest yet. It can be done in one day, but you’ll have to keep moving. This loop goes from Island Park, to West Yellowstone, to Old Faithful, to the South Entrance of the park, to Jackson Hole, to Dirggs, to Tetonia, to Felt, to Ashton and back to Island Park.
I was in the store the other day where a loud and boisterous conversation was going on. These were fishermen. True blue, through and through fishermen, extolling the virtues of the only true method of catching fish — fly fishing. It seems that anyone who might deign to use “worms” (this guy said “worm” like a nine year old little girl who’s been asked to eat one) is somehow inferior to the fishing elite.
In an effort to help you find some of the places of beauty here in Island Park, we continue our Makin’ The Loop series. This week’s loop has spectacular views and somewhat less dirt road than last week’s installment.
The Ashton, Idaho-based Smart Growth Coalition will be holding four forums beginning tomorrow night (August 27) on how to balance growth in Fremont county with the habitat needs of wildlife. The meetings will be held in the SGC’s headquarters at 512 main street in Ashton. From 6:30 to 7:00 p.m., light refreshments will be served and you will have an opportunity to mingle with the experts in this field.