[Tweeters] Birding and Hunting at Wiley Slough

[Kim Thorburn via Tweeters]

As a former fish and wildlife commissioner, I appreciate Doug's recognition of the hard work by WDFW staff to mitigate and minimize wildlife user conflict and restore critical habitat. (I've never seen a wetlands restoration that was pretty in its early phases.)

Many may not like hunting but over my years as a commissioner, I watched our tendency to translate our dislike of certain social and cultural practices to dislike of the practitioners and to express our disdain with charges of bad or illegal behavior to characterize the group. I don't like it when others characterize us birders by our bad behaviors like trespassing, disrespecting privacy, or ignorant intrusion on tribal sovereignty. To be licensed, hunters must pass hunter education, including major focus on fair chase ethics and safety. As a group, I find hunters take both issues seriously. Hunters also contribute mightily to wildlife conservation. During volunteer habitat restoration efforts, I'm more often rubbing shoulders with bird hunters than birders.

Thank you, Kris, for your question and initiation of the thread. When I bird in game units during firearm hunting seasons, I use an extra precaution and wear hunter pink or orange. A cap does the trick. Such clothing is required of hunters during big game modern firearm seasons but not seasons without overlap. While perhaps not the best birding garb, I choose it as a good safety practice.

Good birding,


Kim



Kim Marie Thorburn, MD, MPH

Spokane, WA

(509) 465-3025




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