BY JOE MIELE
GOT A QUESTION FOR UNCLE JOE?
YOU CAN E-MAIL IT TO ASKUNCLEJOE@HOTMAIL.COM .
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C/O WILDLIFE WATCH, BOX 562, NEW PALTZ, NY 12561.
UNCLE JOE GETS A LOT OF MAIL SO DON’T BE OFFENDED IF HE CANNOT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN THE COURIER. HECK, HE’S GOTTA WORK A DAY JOB, TOO.
Letters are printed as received. They are unedited.
Dear Uncle Joe:
I have seen a lot of ignorance on the computer, but I think your site
wins ignorance of all time. Our family for many generations has hunted,
fished and enjoyed the outdoors. Our family is very active in management
of animal herds, which by the way if they were not hunted would have
severe problems. I briefly looked over your information and I think you
need to spend more time with your research and maybe focus your efforts
on something else. I vote to abolish cash!
Marshall
Marshall, CO
Dear Marshall from Marshall:
I’ve always wanted to be one of the all-time greats at something, so I
am truly honored to accept your “Most Ignorant Site of All- Time” award.
I’ll keep the trophy on my mantel. Or not.
Without hunting, the only severe problem I can foresee would be in
finding a constructive way for hunters to express their violent
tendencies and their desire to kill the most helpless among us.
When we do wipe hunting off the face of the earth perhaps you and
your huntin’ buddies can don some boxing gloves and beat the pants off
each other (or is violence only enjoyable to you when you know there is
no one there to fight back?).
Regards,
Uncle Joe
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Dear Uncle Joe:
What do people in Maywood, NJ know about sport hunting? Are they
familiar with CWD, Brucellosis, starvation, EHD? Could you please
explain why you’d rather see animals die of disease than by the quick
and painless death given to them by hunters?
Natalie
Lake George, MI
Dear Natalie:
No matter where I’ve lived I have always had people spew at me the
comment that you used to open your letter. No matter where our
organization has operated from (New York, New Jersey, New Mexico) there
have been hunters who have said to us “What can you people possibly know
about hunting, living in ____?”
C.A.S.H. knows that hunting is used by state and federal fish and
wildlife agencies to manipulate wildlife, the public and even hunters
into believing that the sport is necessary to control wildlife
populations, halt the spread of disease, or some other nonsense that has
no basis in reality. A cursory glance at our website will reveal
articles reporting information (and the sources of that information) to
counter the lies of the fish and game agencies and baffle the minds of
you nimrods.
Would we prefer to see animals die of disease rather than hunting?
Well, I can’t give you the “yes or no” answer that you’re looking for.
First, you must take into consideration that hunting has caused diseases
like CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) and EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic
Disease - a condition first discovered in New Jersey, FYI) to spread.
As for hunting being able to control EHD, you might want to first
check with the Michigan DNR before you believe this is possible. Your
own state hunting agency states on its website that “There is no known
effective treatment or control of EHD.” (http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-
10370_12150_12220-26647—,00.html)
I’m so sorry to burst your bubble Natalie, but hunting does not help
animals. When hunting is abolished and wildlife populations balance with
the carrying capacity of the available habitat, we will see a reduction
in the spread of diseases and the suffering the animals face.
Peace,
Uncle Joe
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Dear Uncle Joe:
Welcome to New Mexico! We’re happy to have you down here working for
the animals. I have a problem that I’d like you to address. There have
been mountain lions seen in the area and I am concerned about my rescued
chickens. My husband and I rescued them from a farm about a year ago and
I don’t want them being eaten by lions (or the stray dogs we have in the
area). Other than putting them in the shed at night is there something I
should be doing to protect them? Thanks for any help you can provide.
Elaine Organ,
NM
Dear Elaine:
Thanks for the warm welcome. I’ve heard from many animal advocates who
are happy that C.A.S.H. now calls Doña County home. Wild Earth Guardians
of Santa Fe, NM offers the following advice:
Make your property the kind of place that a lion would not like to
frequent. Keep all brush and vegetation trimmed very short to eliminate
any potential hiding places; don’t allow the chickens to be out of their
shed when mountain lions are most active (during the hours of dawn,
dusk, and at night); if possible, install motion-sensitive lighting
around the area you wish to protect. If there are deer in your area, do
not attract them to your property and consider installing deer-proof
fencing that is 6 to 8 feet tall, as this will keep both the deer and
the lions away. This advice should be enough to keep your chickens safe.
Peace,
Uncle Joe
