Appalachian Intellectual. To me that means plain thinking. I am A Non Commissioned Officer in the Army Reserves. Let me say...My views expressed here are mine and not those of The U.S. Army, Army Reserve or my fellow brethren in The National Guard. This is entirely Sua Sponte. This is My Thinking.
I'm single and in my mid 30's. Politicaly, I'm a Libertarian. (Again, Sua Sponte.I do not represent the Libertarian Party.)I love my native Appalachia, Rock n Roll and...I love God.
I started blogging for two reasons. I was concerned about the changes to the area I live in, Southern Appalachia and I was about to go to the war. I was in Iraq in 06 and 07 and now Kuwait in 11 and 12. Blogging was a means of documenting my experiences and hoping it would help gain clarity. I don't feel that way about it any more. It's said people write blogs because they are frustrated, that's why people read them too. That makes us sound apocalyptic. Are we? Let it be said, what I say here is of my own thinking. This is entirely Sua Sponte and not an official representation of the U.S. Military or the U.S. Government as a whole.
There's an Academy Award coming for the blue guy. They're going to put him on the big screen with Hollywood starlets. Actually, the video is a tad long, eight minutes and fourteen seconds. If you've got a slow connection, let it run and come back to it. Unless your into dramatic Classical Music, I'd turn the volume down. That's up to you.
There's a difference in belonging and being owned. There's a difference in persuasion and manipulation. Everyone's life is valuable, but, everyone determines they're self worth. You own your Self.
I'm a Hunter. There's no secret about that. I need not explain it, nor justify it to anyone. No apologies. It's not for everyone, simple and true. Yet, I choose to share little parts of it, in order that someone may benefit from what I say.
Wednesday Night the North Carolina Wildlife Commission held a meeting with us Hunters and Fishermen about proposed regulations. Sort of a Town Hall Meeting so to speak. If we Hunters don't give our input, then we become subject to the whims of the Commission, and the typical politician types of Raleigh. As well, the Biologist depend on the information we send them for allot of their research.
This meeting, representing the 9th Wildlife District, was held at Southwestern Community College over between Cullowee and Sylva. It was attended by Wildlife Officials, Biologist, Enforcement Officers (Game Wardens)and Hunters and Fishermen of every breed. To give cerdit, Ol' faithful Ranger Buddy Twister, talked me into going.
So, kinda copieing after NeoLibertarian's post, I submit some choice proposals and my thoughts. These are my thoughts, I do not represent anyone other than my damn Self. Thanks to the NC Camo Coalition, a great organization that can be emulated by allot of local Grass Roots Organizations, I bring this to you.
Fishing first.
F08, This concerned the South Toe River up in Yancey County, a tributary to the French Broad well above Asheville. Normally, I'd have no concern in this. I don't want to have folks in Yancey calling the shots for me in Transylvania if they never come here. It's not my back yard, I ain't been there since I don't know when. But, I am against it. Reason is designating it "catch and Release is a Trout Unlimited thing, and I don't care for them. Basically they lobby for stocking of Brown and Rainbow Trout, that aren't native to Appalachia. A Biologist said it to me, they stock those two species of Trout to make people like Trout Unlimited happy. Browns and Rainbows were brought in to restock the rivers after they were depleted of the native "Speckle" Trout due to run off from the over logging of the early 1900s. The Browns and Rainbows attack the Speckle. There would be more speckle, if not for them. To give credit, Twister talked me into going against it, which didn't take much convincing.
F31, is to prohibit the possession of Zebra Muscles. Zebra Muscles can cause some serious damage to streams and to Wastewater plants. I hold a NC Wastewater License and that concerns me some, I know the damage that can occur. Zebra Muscles are exotics, and the only exotic I'm for the importation of is exotic women. I believe the importation of exotic women could produce a healthy breeding stock. Everything else needs to go back to where it came from.
Hunting,
H3, removing the daily bag limit (2) on deer. I say no. Two is enough. Every Hunter that spoke on this issue was against it. Someone could drop their season limit (depends on where they are at) and be done in a day. I don't think anyone is that hungry. And, if allot of the Bucks are killed before they get the Does bred, what then?
H4, allowing Bow Hunting on Game Lands during the Muzzle Loading Season. I say, why not? Why does it matter if a Deer is taken with a Bow and Arrow or Black Powder? I used to Bow Hunt some, but, I fell out of it. And truth is, I'd rather shoot a Muzzle Loader of I can, but, it would provide opportunity to someone that does not have Black Powder capabilities.
H5, take the one week Muzzle Loading Season and making it two by taking a week of Bow Season. I say yes. This would give someone with limited time off to hunt Muzzle Loading Season, and if they can abide by H4 then it's a win win. Well, some Archers didn't like this. They said something about Safety. It's not any less safe in my eyes. To me, they don't like to share, they don't like the added pressure on Deer by having a few more Hunters in the woods. I fear that they can become like Trout Unlimited. Some other Hunters didn't care for H5, siting that with the newer in line Muzzle Loaders, they are about as good as a Center fire Rifle and early success can hurt the deer population. The latter have a point. But, not too many people can take time off in the early part, and the weather is till warm enough where Deer may lay down.
H6, this is east and north of me, where Deer have become more abundant, Yancey, McDowell and Rutherford counties and east. A uniform season is proposed, basically "Gun Season" from Oct 15th to Jan 1st. I have my concerns on this. While there may be a nice population of deer, it's not like Alabama. Down East, such a Season is feasible. No one spoke in favor of it. My concern, as well as theirs is it could seriously damage the population. One said Georgia did the same thing and he doesn't see the Deer he did down there. Some speculate that Insurance Companies are behind this, and as one man pointed, most Deer are hit at night, as well as near roadways when they can't be hunted as much.
H10, allow a permit only Hunt on the Daniel Boone Bear sanctuary. Apparently, it's covered up in Bear, as most Sanctuaries are. I say yes, it would pressure some Bear out of there, and balance the population. As well, as one Bear Hunter from Swain said, the Commission can study the effect. He was concerned, pointing how well the Sanctuary Program of the last 3o something odd years has tremendously helped the bear Population. Permits are not open hunting, so, a balance can be set. An abundance of Boars can hurt, males kill cubs.
There were two other bear Season Proposals and they concerned Down East, where I never venture, but would like to here some day to Hunt. So, I had no input into that. I also kept qiuet on the Turkey Season Proposals, which one was doing away with the Youth Only Day. No one liked that.
H17, Wild Boar, opening hog hunting in early September and taking it to the end of February. The Forest Service is requesting it because they are tearing the woods up. I'm for it. Wild Boar are not native, their exotics, and you'll know how I feel about exotics. The truth is, they will tare up the woods. And, believing in a Southern Appalachian purity when it comes to the wild, they disturb that. As we become more crowded with development and wild swine having a high reproductive rate it could get to a bigger problem for our compromised Forests. They compete with Bear for habitat. If they end up on a Golf Course, well, they do. Invite us in to run them out, and fix your Golf Course. If they get into Agricultural Lands, we've got a problem. They can hurt stream quality too from whallering. Some of those from Graham County are against it. Hogs are a way of life over there. That is where the Russian Wild Boar was brought in. It's business over there around Robbinsville. They don't thin it hurts that much. I see the cutting down of hogs promoting the surgance of Bear. God put Bear here, not hogs, we did that.
H18, open Bear Sanctuaries to Wild Boar Hunting, this would not allow Dogs. Yes. Let's do it. Do we want to cut down on them? This will allow Deer Hunters to cut down on them at chance. But, then east of Jackson County we can do this already.
The Dog issue makes some happy. I know people that want Bear Season shut down for a week before Gun Deer Season. They think that it makes the Deer nervous to have Dogs in the woods. I've learned that if Dogs are not running Deer, the Deer step aside and go about their business. Plus, there are Sanctuaries where Dogs run in and get pulled out. Compare what goes on between the two and you have your answer. There are those that Dog Deer under the guise of Bear Hunting, but they don't Bear Hunt, and do it after Deer Season mainly. I don't care for Dogging Deer, but in a healthy population, it's a method, like the SC Low Country an Down East NC. There are people that know how to Dog Deer and they could go into an area and you'd never know they had been there. Deer Doggers around here do hurt Deer Population. But the Dogs in the woods issue spooking Deer is not to buoyant in my eyes. If so, the Indians would have starved, right Pipsqeak? That is one reason I fear that the Bow and Trophy Deer Hunter crowd may become like Trout Unlimited. They want things to be like they are on the Outdoors Chanell. In their minds Hunting with Dogs is so passe'. Never mind many people that Hunt with Dogs Still and Stand Hunt Deer too. And, are selective about what they take. However, I can agree to no Dogs on Wild Boar on Bear sanctuaries, it can cut down on confusion and then, not let those that do cheat. In addition too, it can show some interesting results if properly studied.
How about those dance moves!! Special thanks to the Dandy Warhols for that enlightening video!
I used to have a thing for Zia until I seen that she got ink done. Then, I lost it. I look forward to the day when tattoos on women are so passe'.
H19, requiring the hard copy tagging of Big Game. Yes, this could discourage cheating, remind people to call or check it in and then allow for the Commission to collect more accurate data.
H20, Squirrel Season goes until the last of January, they want it extended to the end of February. I agreed to that. But then The NC Camo Coalition is against it because they are suckling young then. I didn't think that was for another month...Oops, my bad. They may have a point.
H26, allow Bow Hunting on Private Lands on Sundays. I agree to that. 7th Day Adventist have rights too. I don't think God minds that at all. For that matter, I don't think he minds allot of the things we are told is taboo.
H27, same as above but on Game Lands. Yes.
H29, get rid of the restrictions of Gun Caliber on Game Lands during the Hunting Season while Big Game is closed. I say YES. Hogs are legal as long as something is in season east of Jackson and Swain Counties, starting in Haywood and Transylvania. But, we can only use .22, .22 Magnum and Shotguns with #4 Shot or less. If they want us to kill these hogs, let us take something that will do the job. If you catch them between the eyes with a .22 you can kill them, but you've got to get aligned with the thing in a spot where it can gore you. If we can take something to down them, then more people would Hunt them with less fear of carrying a dead Dog from the woods. Hogs are deadly on dogs, and most Bear Dogs will run one, whether their owner likes it or not. But, fighting Bear and Hogs are two different skills. I'd be happy to hog Hunt with my .30 Carbine.
I didn't stick around for the whole meeting. I had to be at work at 0400, so after the hog discussion I left out of there.
Conservation is a beautiful thing. The Individual does not always see eye to eye with the Government, and it's good for them to come and ask you of your input. Conservation comes from the efforts of the individual as it does anything.
Again, this is just the way I see it. What If You Were The Last Conservationist On Earth? The Appalachianist.
I had Drill this past weekend. It was a long weekend. Usually I get to stay at the Navy School in Athens, which is pretty nice. This time, due to every Reserve Unit in Athens Georgia and their subordinate units from different towns there for the weekend the Navy School was full. I got to stay at the Holiday Inn Express. It didn't make me feel a damn bit smarter. I've been going into work at 0400 and Saturday was no different, I left home before 0400 to be in Athens before 0630, to be in Atlanta at 0830. I didn't catch up on rest Saturday night. At 0100 I had to lay in bed and listen to two rowdy kids getting arrested outside of my room after they ran up and down the hall making all kinds of racket. All kinds of racket plus Good Cop/Bad Cop equals not a whole lot of sleep. But, I'm glad Good Cop/ Bad Cop showed up, actually it was Hotel Security Guy, then Good Cop/Bad Cop. All kinds of racket was in a state of intoxication and was worried Bad Cop was going to shoot him. It wouldn't have bothered me if she did. Athens is a nice town to visit. It has some Beautiful Women. I wouldn't want to live there, no offense to the Classic City.
Alpha Company is getting back to strength, little by little...Schway schway...I've picked up a Sergeant and a Lieutenant, which is the Company Commander now, also a Private that is still in High School and will be leaving for Basic this Summer. But, then I may be losing one of the members of the Company shortly, due to moving out of state. Something to do with a divorce and greener grass.
"Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher. Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil." Thomas Paine, Common Sense.
Garrison Keillor has his uses. Love him or hate him, it's true. But, this isn't about him. It was due to his website of Writers Almanac that I learned the significance of the 10th of January 1776. Common Sense was principled. It was about basics...Basics. Something we've lost in our complicated march to a socialist fascist existence...Common Sense was about Independence. Thanks to Thomas Paine's pamphlet, we are where we are today, the United States of America, not deficits, bailouts, and declines in Personal Liberties.
America, "you've come a long way, baby". We never should have started smoking, it just makes a pretty girl look old after a while. The Appalachianist
On New Years Day, while looking for a lost Dog off in the Middle Prong Wilderness I stepped across a snake. It was 12 degrees when I left my corner of the world that morning, it was cold all day. I had climbed up frozen ground to get up in there. But, that snake somehow got thawed out enough to crawl around a little. It was just a little brown snake, maybe a foot long or a little longer. The sun shined brightly through a little opening in the trees and as I looked down to make sure of my footing, I saw it's brown scales slide on the leaves out from some spriggs of Doghobble(1). I stepped over it and looked back to see that little snake slid up to the base of a tree trunk. There it was, a little brown snake in the dead of Winter.
It was the last day of Bear Season here in Western North Carolina. Middle Prong is Bear Sanctuary. They're off limits there. The man's Dog had gone off in there the day before and that country is so rough waiting for one to come out is the most feasible option. Me and another boy had walked off in there and I tracked her close to me at one time. We didn't find her though. The higher we climbed around that steep slope the further she seemed. We were worried she was hurt. Later that day she was standing on the road. She was fine, just hungry. It's like she had just enjoyed a little time to her self.
Some things find the sun, some things come out of the Wilderness in their own time. The Appalachianist
