So sick of the Strib pushing hunting. PUKE*

[glinda]

So I glanced briefly at a front page where a pic of a young blond WI woman was trying on hunting gear and whining "If I don't hunt my family don't eat" or something like that. Like how much is gas, licenses, all the damn bullets not to mention the fancy clothing you are buying. 4 pete's sake!
The Strib sucks. My husband wants me to buy everyday but I just toss it. Sick of the country music full page stuffs and sick of all their crap.
Whew!
Now I feel a little better. For awhile anyways.....

[Kalidurga]

1. The Strib has been terrible for a while now...

I stopped reading the Strib when I was in Tennessee from 2007-2009. At some point in 2010 I wanted to start reading the paper again, it was not the same paper.

[Odin2005]

2. As a hunter, cry me fucking a river.

[Brickbat]

3. What's wrong with hunting?

[glinda]

4. What I could say better is that the articles, frequency of articles,

photos and placement of photos read as Ads. They are unofficial Ads. Do not assume the majority of people hunt. Nor condone hunting for that matter. I have noticed a huge change in highlighting the activity and strategic placement.
It is the same for how they take a SPORTS article and then place it in the first section in a large prominent place which has been done. Or for that matter a Country Music concert and then instead of sticking it in Variety or whatever it goes in the first section not just one day but quite a few days sometimes.
The Strib has more actively taken on a roll of telling MN. peeps WHO they should be, what they should listen to and what they should think. Far more coverage was given to Conservative candidates for that matter also.
MN is a diverse State with diverse interests and beliefs although one might not know that from the total makeover of that paper.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I don't care much for hunting, but it generates a huge part of the DNR's budget revenue.

The Section of Wildlife has an annual operating budget of approximately $31 million. About 84 percent of the Wildlife budget is derived from hunting and trapping licenses, hunting stamps, and federal funds based on an excise tax on hunting gear. The other major funding source (12 percent) comes from revenue generated by Minnesota State Lottery sales.

Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of Wildlife expenditures from the Game and Fish Fund are used to protect, restore and enhance habitat on WMAs, which is a primary focus of the Wildlife Section.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenserevenue/index.html

Without the revenue generated by hunting licenses and fees the DNR wouldn't have much money for wildlife habitat protection. Whether we like it or not, a lot of people in Minnesota hunt. My dad was a hunter; we had pheasant instead of turkey every Thanksgiving. And a lot of people are interested in sports - probably more are than are not. I am not a sports fan but I'm not going to complain about what other people enjoy. The Strib is responding to the interests of its readers because otherwise they couldn't get any advertising, which is their main means of support. If they thought the same number of people were interested in opera they would have a huge opera section, but although it is mentioned in the arts section there is no huge opera section. Because not that many people are interested in it (I am).

I'm not fond of the Strib these days, but not because it publishes a lot of articles on hunting and sports. I don't care about that so I don't read those sections. Their far greater sin is their op-ed page. Although for years it's been accused of a liberal bias I can't find much evidence of that. They feature op-eds by the loathsome Katherine Kirsten! But I'm addicted to their crossword puzzles.

[glinda]

6. The DNR is not spending very much on preserving and spends the majority of its time

on hunting Programs and permits. It has become a sloppy pit of hunting promoters. I get the newsletter and barely is there any mention of preservation or anything. It is all hunting pretty much.
I believe the DNR should be investigated due to its refocus upon just that. At best case scenario it should be re-stfaffed with people who actually work a lot on species health and environment not how many new Programs for young people target shooting they can do or how much they can open up Camp Ripley for more hunts.
My father was a long time hunter and fisherman. I used to fish regularly. I lived solely off of hunted meat for about 6 years btw. But that was a different time and I have since seen also the over hunting, the poaching that goes unreported and the increase in road kill and disease in species.
No the Strib is NOT responding to what people want. (They exclude on a regular basis many things people are interested in.) And even if they did they would put it in the sports section and not let their special interests find their way onto the other sections on a regular basis. And it is sad if they only have ammo dealers and sports shops that advertize.
I am not a sports fan either but when I attended an event at the Dome once and permanenetly lost half of my hearing in one ear due to the bad acoustics I was for a new stadium. With bird glass anyways.
I cannot defend the promotion of hunting while not sustaining.
I cannot defend the Strib anymore. At one time my father even worked there. I am done with their turn not just hard right but downwards.

[Jenoch]

7. It appears your entire knowledge of the MNDNR comes from a newspaper.

That is the definition of ignorance. What is your knowledge of the MNDNR Non-Game Wildlife Program?

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/index.html


Do you you have any idea about the other divisions of the MNDNR other than Fish & Game?


http://dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/index.html

[glinda]

8. that is a sad response.....

[Jenoch]

9. Why?

Hnting provides the vast majority of non-state funded revenue to the DNR. Taxe money and lottery money is not used to fund hunting programs.

You could also choose not to read the Minneapolis newspaper. Most of the stories about hunting are at the back of the Sunday sports section. There will likely be stories in the first section for the fishing opener in which over a million people participate and the deer opener in which 500,000 people participate. You might be pleased that 30,000 fewer deer were harvested last weekend compared to last year. One of my nephews shot a spike buck. We field dressed, skinned, and butchered that deer within a few hours on Saturday.

I'm curious, are you a vegetarian?

[glinda]

10. ...

If hunting is their strongest plan to create funds that in and of itself is doomed to fail and presents the focus "of depending upon hunting to raise funds".
With the overall population of species going down due to illness, environmental factors such s loss of habitat and Climate Crisis, not to mention poaching (and road kills being up) and permitting increases in certain permits or planning them such as in so called "wolf harvesting"...well the balance is out of waco.
My information comes form many sources. I also read the DNR newsletters. Indeed the focus no matter what time of year, has been on primarily creating more habitat for "hunting" or doing this for "hunting" or that for "hunting".
They have not been spending the time nor funds as much for actual environment and animals let alone flora and fauna with any sense of respect. It has turned towards the end goal of "hunting" basically. This is my observation. My opinion. My feeling about this whole issue.
So it is sad to see the participation of the Strib in being joined at the hip in relocating articles about hunting by having them migrate more frequently to other sections in the paper. But then again ammo promotion and placating their funders of the NRA helps them. Right?
I read (although no longer seriously after this last week) the Strib. I was born in inner city Mpls and have an interest in civic affairs.I am not a vegetarian but eat less meat these days and will most likely transition to vegetarian by summer of next year hopefully if my health holds tight. I had to give up being one years ago, then went the north woods, chopped my wood, live in a recycled home without electricity and hunted my food "way" for 6 years.
But doing all of that taught me a valuable lesson of observation about the environment and about humans and actually commerce. Mostly politics in the end....
The balancing act of limiting kills to not include does only shows the precarious sad mess that this planet is in in my opinion.
I lived that life and grew up in that life and grew out of that life realizing that I am someone far different from that through those experiences.
I am also not the only one.

[Jenoch]

11. It appears you know little about hunting.

If you believe hunting is bad, tell that to the animals which are raised for human consumption. Criticizing hunting while being an omnivore is hypocritical.

By the way, the MNDNR recieves much funding from tax dollars that are not related to hunting.

"With the overall population of species going down due to illness, environmental factors such s loss of habitat and Climate Crisis, not to mention poaching (and road kills being up) and permitting increases in certain permits or planning them such as in so called "wolf harvesting"...well the balance is out of waco."

Do you have any links to support this supppsition? There has been a wolf hunt and trapping in Minnesota for three years. I have not participated in this hunt. Do you have any evidence that the timber wolf population has or will soon crash?

"overall species going down.". What does that even mean?

p.s.

I will return tomorrow to our deer camp in which we have no electricity or running water. It's getting cold, so we keep the wood stove going. My 80+ year old father loves deer hunting with his sons and grandsons. (His only granddaughter lives across the country, otherwise she woukd be welcome as well.)

[glinda]

12. You have gone way off my OP and are now defending your actions.

[Jenoch]

13. I have no need to defend my actions.

You never did tell me what this means: "With the overall population of species going down..."

What species is it that you refer?

[question everything]

20. By the way

I admit, it is probably hypocritical of me to purchase beef and chicken and fish filet when there is hardly any resemblance to the actual animal. I can see how many become vegetarians because of the image. We were at a restaurant in town - St. Paul, or Minneapolis, not sure - where you were offered a fresh trout which I did. Well, they have a creek meandering in the patio stocked with trouts and it did not take long for me to get my fresh trout. Grilled. And I had hard time eating it. This creature was alive just 10 min ago, I could not help thinking.

I know that many farmers show affection to their animals... until they take them to market. And it would bother me. Yes, I have always lived in a city with water, natural gas and waste piped in and out, respectively. And with electricity generated by a flip of a switch. And I remember the program from the 80s on PBS - how would you make a living if all the amenities that you take for granted disappear.

At the state fair they have baby farm animals where kids can pet and coddle the animals, never thinking about their fate. This bothers me. Especially the piglets. Pigs are the only farm animal with a single purpose - eating. No eggs, milk or wool.

Thus as I am getting older and more sensitized I am moving to vegetarian eating. And I am glad that farming is not depending on people like me. I appreciate the importance of farming both as providing food and as way of making a living.

Sigh...

[Jenoch]

21. You ate that trout at Jax Cafe

in NE Minneapolis. I don't mind it when people share their anti-hunting views, as long as they do it in the manner that you have, recognizing the irony of consuming domestic meat products.

Three weeks ago was the Minnesota deer hunting opener. My nephew shot a buck in the morning just before daylight. That afternoon we skinned and butchered the deer. We ate venison that night.

You are not quite correct about pigs. The pig's skin is made into leather, and my father has a porcine heart valve (not to mention Jello).

[Brickbat]

22. Congratulations to your nephew.

Tough season up here.

[question everything]

16. I admit. I don't know much about the MNDNR either

Yes, there was a story about California, I think, where rangers put GPS on bears, and when they got too close to a campsite, they made noise to shoo them away. First to a nearby tree, than further. And I could not help thinking that in Minnesota, they would just shoot and kill.

In other places when a bear come too close to residential areas they tranquilize it and move it to the woods. Here, they kill. Same with other wildlife.

[Jenoch]

17. I'm interested in learning about how

nuisance bears are controlled with tranquilizers. Do you have a link.

It's my understanding that it is not as easy as it looks. Getting the dosage correct, tranquilizing the bear where it is in a safe place, having strong narcitic tranquilizers in a safe storage place while still being accessible are all difficult issues to deal with.

[question everything]

18. Just googled it. Have no personal knowledge

http://www.bearsmart.com/bear-management/capturing-bears

Not just bears. I think that there have been cases of deer and coyotes.

[Jenoch]

19. Tranquilizing deer is much more

problematic than tranqilizing a bear. Deer have sensitive systems and would likely perish.

Why would the DNR tranquilize a coyote?

[glinda]

14. Next up! ATV's!

[Jenoch]

15. Ok ATVs. What does

"With the overall population of species going down..." mean. i am still wondering?