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LETTER: Speaking up for hunters

Pro-hunting stance applauded by Cherryville resident
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I want to commend you on your article “Hunting defended” in a recent edition of the Vernon Morning Star.

I’m not sure if I have ever read a more truthful or more factual article about hunting in a newspaper. There isn’t a single statement that I would have issue with. Non-hunters would do well to read the article carefully and make note of the points about animal behaviour as a result of population levels.

There is a balance to everything and that is what hunting quotas seek to achieve based on surveys and studies by government biologists.

People who don’t hunt don’t often consider that fact and they butt in without taking the time to do any research on the subject and then influence our politicians to make choices which the facts don’t agree with. We currently have a fair-sized cougar which has been sighted at least twice very close to where I live in Cherryville.

These cats don’t normally like being close to humans but this one is likely hungry and attempting to find food down low. That might be a problem because I haven’t seen very many deer this fall. That means the cat might attack pets, livestock, or children if the cat is desperate enough and the opportunity is presented to it.

That’s what happened to seven-year-old Kaylum Doherty while camping on the Island, and Angie Prime in Trail, who had a hungry cat walk into her house and attack her while she was watching TV.

And a hungry cat killed Cindy Paolin near Princeton, who beat the cat off her young son to save him. The people who decry hunting seem to forget those stories all too quickly.

I live in Cherryville so I make a point not to get involved in issues which affect Vernonites. I only go there to shop so things like bike lanes and what to do about Stickle Road have little effect on my visits there. It would be nice if people who live in cities would have the same courtesy to those things which have a large impact on my life.

Carles Lopez