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Thank you to those who expressed concerns regarding the eyebrow-raising proposal to allow hunting in densely populated areas. While the issue of killing wildlife because they are considered to be a nuisance has many layers for discussion, I will keep to the safety aspect of this topic and share an incident that happened on Jan. 31, the last day of goose hunting season.
We heard several gunshots fired very close to our home that afternoon. We went outside to investigate and saw a motorboat at high speed, gun barrels visible, in hot pursuit of two squawking geese flying into the Balus Creek cove. The boat went around a turn, and quickly two more gunshots were fired. In 18 years of living on the lake, we have never seen a wild west show like it and reported it immediately to the DNR, which was responsive.
There were several infractions to the rules that day that we witnessed: Firearms must be unloaded and cased when transported in a boat and (from DNR's georgiawildlife.com Web site), no shooting within 1,000 feet of any structure, dock, bridge, etc. Anyone that knows the Balus Creek cove is aware that docks are 50 to 100 feet apart and most of the cove is about 300 to 400 feet wide at full pool. The turnaround at the end of the cove is wider but is lined with homes and docks on two sides. Because of the many trees and vegetation, a person in a boat cannot always see if there is anyone near the shoreline.
Not only is my concern for stray bullets and having to take cover when I hear gunshots this close to my home or while enjoying the lake, it also is for the larger issue of the disregard by some hunters for following rules for safety. This man was so determined that his son was going to kill a goose on the last of day of hunting season that he had to chase one down in his boat and jeopardize the safety of people and their pets that live nearby.
I was glad to read there are others that share my concerns. I do not support hunting animals this close to populated areas and would like to see this issue explored for other resolutions. I like the wildlife here, all of it: deer, geese, foxes and birds. We only get a handful of blueberries each summer, about a quarter of the figs, and numerous plants have been eaten because of the animals, but I think they belong here.
Hunting should be reserved for remote, less-populated areas. I hope the goose hunter we saw did not read about the 12-point buck on Riverside Drive.
Cheryl Shedd
Oakwood