I was pleased to see John Harrigan’s response to Ray Duckler’s slanted piece on John and bobcat hunting (Monitor Forum, April 1).
I’m even older than John and have been a hunter and fisherman most of my life. I’ve come to respect John’s opinions, even though I don’t always agree with him.
His writings are based on many years of direct experience and keen insight. I wish I could say the same about Duckler. Quoting an obscure trapper’s biased opinion doesn’t lend credence to Duckler’s point but reinforces his “shoot-from-the-hip” style.
I agree with John Harrigan concerning the bobcat fiasco.
I also was taught at an early age that you eat what you kill (with the obvious exceptions of rodents and other vermin), and there’s no room in my diet for cats. I’d be willing to bet Duckler’s real-world experience as a responsible hunter doesn’t amount to a thimble-full compared to John’s.
Bobcats can manage their population without our intervention, especially when we threaten to do it by using management and state government in the same sentence.
It’s patently obvious that the Fish and Game Commission has its own covert agenda, and uninformed, biased articles like Duckler’s only serve to validate the commission’s nefarious efforts.
I have to trust that the Legislature has enough sense to see through this travesty and vote down any legislation to permit hunting and trapping these beautiful animals.
John, I’ve never met you in person, but I urge you to keep on writing (anyone who drives a vintage flat-fender Jeep is okay in my book).
RON GODBOUT
Northfield