Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Fwd: Re(2): [RC] Fwd: Hunter mistakes girl's horse for a deer

We're out in the middle of the woods in southern OH (Hocking Hills) and during 
gun hunting season it sounds like a war zone around here.  When we moved out 
here I sent a letter to all my neighbors that I now have horses on the property 
and will not be allowing any gun hunting on our property.  I don't ride 
during 'gun season', I also confine the horses to the small paddock near the 
barn, tie hunter orange vests around their necks, and put a hunter orange rain 
slicker over the electric fence that faces the neighbor's property.  It's still 
a long way away from our barn, but I don't take any chances.  

Normally, my horses have 24/7 access to woods and pasture, so as a comprimise, 
I let the horses out after thier nightly feeding then hike thru the woods to 
the pasture before sunrise to bring them back to the barn.  The year before I 
left them in the paddock fulltime and they went crazy.  I looked out the window 
one day and see my gelding rearing up at the mare.  I think he was trying to 
get her to jump the fence and make a run for it.  The last day she gave him a 
good hard double barrel rear end kick to his front legs near his chest.  
Fortunately, just a nasty flesh wound.  Knew they needed more exercise.  
They're much saner with some turnout.  

As far as hunters and my 2 cents worth, I don't worry at all about bow hunters, 
they are the 'real hunters'.  I worry about the city folk who come out here sit 
in a deer stand drinking beers waiting for the deer to come and eat or drink at 
their usual spot.  About as sporting as shooting kids in a crosswalk.  These 
are not hunters.  I also think there should be a vision test given before a 
hunting license is given, like for a drivers license.  I'm an optometrist and I 
have a surge of deer hunters come in to get their eyes checked to make sure 
their vision is at its best, but I have also had to try to talk a few folks out 
of hunting because their vision had failed.  They know they can't drive, but by 
God, they're still going to go hunting.  I do thank God that there are 
responsible hunters who help thin the deer population and help save lives of 
motorists who would unfortunately hit the deer on the road.

Anna 
> >Obviously and sadly, you still seem to think of this pathetic man as a
> >hunter..... but I would never assume that anyone who "shoots at something
> > moving" is a hunter...just an irresponsible, law breaker who needs
> >consequences asap.  CC
> 
> Cindy, our horse council had a state park ranger as a guest speaker at our
> last meeting and he said the same thing, almost word for word! He encouraged
> us to report gun toters (see, I didn't use the word "hunter") who are where
> they aren't supposed to be. The ranger pointed out to us that those people
> are just as offensive to hunters who know the law and can quote it chapter
> and verse as they are to those of us who don't hunt. Someone who points and
> shots at a flash of white is an irresponsible law breaker. Sadly, there are
> just enough of them out there that I give up a week and a half of riding so
> as not to be their target.
> 
> Deanna
> 
> 
> 






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