aka "Sammie", but first I need to tell you about the Alabama Conservation Board meeting that I went to in Eufaula. And then I need to tell you about BB being busy growing the Dothan chapter of the EARH&SESC. And that several people at the meeting want to order T’s…..djmed.

Hover went with me, to lend moral support. I’ve met some of the best people online through this website. I know that sooner or later, I'm going to get a lemon, but so far, they've all been gems.

I’m not a public speaker. I always think of the perfect rejoinder five minutes after the subject has changed. The reason I write is that it gives me a chance to think through what I’m “saying”, correct my atrocious grammar, syntax and spelling. Something I encourage all of you readers, but especially you teats, to do and that’s practice writing up your reports on a word processor using the tools at the top to correct. I could use a few more writers on this site.

We were both a little surprised at both the reception that the EARH&SESC club and its t shirts got. Add in the fact that the Rabbit Journal was known to a couple of reporters in attendance, one with the Birmingham News. Even “Rimfire” was known to Robin Nummy who ran the CAB show. She was commenting on how much she liked our shirts and that she had been in correspondence with another rabbit hunter earlier in the year. I asked if the writer was named “Rimfire”?

While I rubbed my shin I told Hover that I see our reputation preceded us.
Hover said “Our?”

I was prepared and relaxed prior to the meeting. As I listened to the first speakers, mostly professionals with speaking skills, I ran over in my mind what I had to say with strains of “We shall overcome” echoing in the background as I dazzled the board with my logic and oratory skills.
Having signed up to speak in the “other” category at the very bottom of the page, I figured I could listen to any arguments and brilliantly refute them in my monologue before any question period.

First up after the professionals was…….”Rimfire”.
Quaking in my boots, I stumbled forward to the microphone trying to remember my name.

You remember the look the rabbit has when it realizes that those two slender saplings it hides behind are actually your legs?

Standing at the mic, I dredged up my real name, no easy matter considering the numerous nicknames and cyber alias I go by.
I began my stammering statement only to hear the beat of wings as my subject matter took flight.
I snagged random thoughts as they fluttered haphazardly around my empty head.
Finishing, I started a bolt for my chair, when they asked me a couple of questions. I suppose they thought that if I was that funny when I couldn’t remember what the heck I was prepared to talk about, then I would be hilarious when speaking off the cuff.

In retrospect, we should be happy to have a rabbit season at all.

There were a few interesting discussions like not feeding the sharks (chumming) where people were swimming or playing in the water. That seemed like common sense to me, but in my fifty six years, I’ve found to be sorely lacking in most people, at times, myself included.

I was told by two CAB board members and the spokesman for the Alabama Dog Hunters Association that there was “no energy” on the part of the board to expand deer season into February with the exception of one board member.
That’s one board member to many.

The dog hunter problem is a tough one. And, just because we hunt rabbits on smaller tracts doesn’t mean that when they finish with the deer/dog hunters they won’t come for us.
The complaints that I heard from one individual could just as easily have been about a pack of beagles that crossed a line in pursuit of a rabbit.
Heck, I even heard one person who called for the total ban on deer hunting in his county.

I encourage my readers that if they have the time and a CAB meeting is close enough to attend, voice their opinions and support.

to the email I sent to Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Wildlife Section in connection with the steady lengthening of deer season at the expense of the small game hunter.

Keith Guyse, who responded last year, gave this answer this year
"I did not expect any break with the traditional date of October 15th for the opening of the archery deer season but obviously I was wrong. I have to remind myself from time to time that anything is possible during the process of setting those season dates."

while, Gary H. Moody, Chief, Wildlife Section, (334) 242-3469, Gary.Moody@dcnr.alabama.gov responded to a rather snide note that I sent saying

"This move effectively takes away two days that I can run rabbits because the deer hunters don't want you to hunt on their property when season has started. Or most any other time, come to think of it. Every thing that you do in this state is for the deer hunters whoare increasingly tieing up available hunting land at the expense of the small game hunter because we don't have the clout or the MONEY to fight you.
I lose more time and I might get rid of my pack and quit hunting.
Then, since theres not enough room in the woods for me, I may as well vote to severely restrict hunting and ultimately ban it."

Sense my frustration?

His reply
"We appreciate your enthusiasm for small game hunting.
We are disappointed that you seem to think we are not fully supportive of encouraging and increasing opportunities for small game hunting. The proposal that we have heard more in the last few years that will affect small game hunting is to increase deer season into Feburary. We have consistantly not supported that recommendation and one of the main reasons is the negative impact such a move would have on small game hunters.
The next meeting of the Conservation Advisory Board will be in February.
The time and place will be posted on the web site. We invite you to attend the board meeting to support hunting opportunities for small game hunters. "

HB263 (pdf), that could potentially have a impact on hunting, specifically hunting with dogs..

Fairly or unfairly, my fears are that I think one of the things (yes this is generalizing) is that it won’t be used to allow you to do something, so much as to stop me from doing something.

What I think we would see are advertisements promoting a constitutional amendment to outlaw the running of animals with dogs, ala Great Britain, or California or…. Picturing the cute lovable bunny interposed with pictures of snarling hounds fixing to rip them to shreds.
Yeah, I know.
You know.
But the city people don’t know.
They say there are geographic safeguards, that require 7% of the total vote for governor in each district to approve it before it moves forward for a general vote. That shouldn't be that difficult, I figure more than half of my fellow Alabamians are total idiots anyway

Of course, maybe we could use it to raise the out of state hunting license to a grand a year with a special “lease” tax for out of Stater’s of oh say $10 an acre and get a little of our property back for rabbit hunting

Here's a chance to ask the Alabama CAB any questions you got and listen to what the deer hunters are demanding.

Conservation Advisory Board Meets May 19 in Huntsville
CONTACT: Robin Nummy
334-242-3486

The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board will meet Saturday, May 19, 2007, at the Huntsville Museum of Art located

that we eventually will see, overall, in the US, even Alabama, as the deer hunters tie up most of the land for their sport and drive the cost of leases to the point of driving out people of more moderate means.
Hunting will be considered a sport of the privileged. As more people are removed from exposure to hunting, more will be willing to vote in state referendums to outlaw the use of dogs and, eventually, all blood sports.

"The large turn-out of riders and supporters was a renewed show of defiance to the Hunting Act 2004, which outlawed fox hunting, deer hunting and hare coursing with dogs in England and Wales following similar laws in Scotland."

The first went to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,

This time I tried

Keith Guyse, Assistant Chief
Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
Wildlife Section.

I run The Rabbit Journal, a website about hunting rabbits in Alabama
I noticed that rabbit season opens a day later this year and deer season which has always opened on 15 oct is opening a day earlier.
Could you explain why this has happened?
Is it a trend to lengthen the deer season at the expense of small game season?

Update:
I received a reply from Keith Guyse with an explanation:
The traditional dates of October 1st and 15th fall on Sunday this year.
The dates were shifted to avoid having those opening days on Sunday. I
don't expect any break with tradition so those seasons should revert to
the 1st and 15th next year when those dates fall on Monday. There is no
underlying effort to lengthen the deer season at the expense of small
game seasons.

Keith Guyse
Assistant Chief
Wildlife Section


And of course, I had to get on my soapbox for a minute or so.

"The total effect on me was the loss of two days to hunt.
It's hard enough to find a place as it is with the dang deer hunters locking up the property.
Heck, most of them don't even want you on any property in February either.

Shame is deer hunters are going to kill hunting as a sport for Joe Blow by pricing out everybody, but the wealthy. Lease prices are unreal and most deer hunters aren't willing to share the property. Eventually, we'll have a situation like in England where the "blood" sports are on the ropes."

If I'm not thrilled eating with your kids, what makes you think I'd be happy eating with your dogs.
Besides, I could just see me taking the "Girls" into Applebee's.

I got a reply to my questions I posed to the Commissioner of the state of Alabama from Jerry de Bin
Chief, Information & Education, which I think is bureaucratic lingo for PR flak.

Chuck,

Thanks for taking time to email Commissioner Lawley with questions about the Conservation Advisory Board. I am pleased to respond to your questions as follows.

Q. Do CAB members consider the wishes of Alabama sportsmen?
A. Yes. It is important to remember that Alabama law only authorizes the Conservation Commissioner to promulgate regulations, with “advice” from the CAB and input from other internal and external sources. CAB members represent their diverse constituency in the process of advising the Conservation Commissioner on seasons & bag limits and other DCNR policies/regulations.

of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources requesting some information on CAB (Alabama Conservation Advisory Board)

I run two blogs here in Alabama. One is redneckin where I take shots at local and Alabama politicians in between running my mouth about fishing and hunting. The other is "The Rabbit Journal which is concerned with hunting rabbits with beagles.

One of my main concerns is the prospect that the big game hunters on the CAB are more interested in Deer and Turkey at the expense of small game, such as expanding the deer season into February.

Do the members of CAB take into consideration the wishes of Alabama Sportsmen?

Will a move towards antler restrictions and permits (one would assume lowering the number of deer taken in Alabama each year) lead to more traffic accidents because of a population increase?

Since my only concern with deer in Alabama is a few meat deer to eat each year, why do I need to manage our private lease to benefit others who want to hunt trophies?

Do the CAB members have email address's available to the public?

Since the CAB is an appointed body, are they answerable to anybody (meaning the public of Alabama)?

Is there anyway to contact the members of the Board for potential interviews concerning their stands on issues that effect all sportsmen of Alabama?

Is anything being done to keep the middle class or poor from being priced out of hunting besides the rather limited Forever Wild, which would be to the detriment of hunting in general, since many would start voting with the anti's if they don't have a stake in the sport

Looking forward to your responses and hopefully with a method of contacting the CAB members

Chuck over at The Rabbit Journal/ redneckin

I'll post his reply when/if he does

According to Bryan Brasher in the Downtown Columbus Paper, the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board elected not to vote on deer extension. Does that mean we are out of the woods? No, all it means is that the CAB decided not to vote on matters not discussed at the previous months meeting. Now that they have discussed it, they are free to vote oat the next meeting. Please call to voice your objection and contact your Alabama legislative

if this unannounced meeting and vote goes through the way the deer hunters wish.
This group, the Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) needs to be reigned in. It altered both the use of decoys and the uses of crossbows without public notification of the vote. This time there has been no talk of extending the deer season beyond this vague mention in February.
It's hard enough to find land to hunt that is not tied up in deer leases as it is. This could make the rabbit season, in reality, only two weeks long at the most.

It's time to contact your Alabama State Represntative and let him know where you stand. You ladies that don't hunt and are married to men who deer hunt might want to contact them to. This plan could not only destroy rabbit hunting it could destroy hunting in general as the deer hunters will lose my support and vote on matters that concern them.

This is a good Saturday contact number

DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES
(334) 242-3465

More contact numbers are here

Some of them want the deer season expanded into February. Rabbit hunters are already pretty much restricted to that month because deer season is closed and we can finally hunt some closed deer club property. Most deer hunters are scared that we might scare their precious deer off the property and don't even want us on the property in February.

I agree with Uncle NoPass. Deer hunting will be the ruin of hunting in this country with their no trespassing signs and restricted memberships. Maybe their season should be shortened back to mid- January

Of course I love you more than rabbit hunting. I came in two hours early, didn't I?

I mainly use a recurve bow or a 12 ga. loaded with 00 though I do use a rifle occasionally. I like it to be up close and personal. To completely penertrate, within feet if not inches, a long hunted whitetail buck's defenses. Not shoot him like a unsuspecting cow feeding in a pasture. Plus it gives me some great excuses. So, don't be to disappointed when you tell me about the trophy you killed with a primitive weapon, an inline ( I suppose these would qualify) blackpowder with a 3x9 scope at 125 yards and I ho-hum.

I already think that if you're going to use a compound bow with stabilizers, triggers, optical sights, rear sights, kisser buttons and Lord knows what else, you may as well use a rifle, so you can kind of guess what I think of crossbows.
How about a true primitive weapon season in Alabama. Say, recurve, longbow or spear from 1 October till the 15th when the season would allow the modern primitive weapons?
Talk to the car insurance people. They'll tell you there are plenty of deer in Alabama. Maybe even to many in some areas. A longer season might help to. Most rabbit hunters don't talk to fondly of deer either. If you talk to Uncle NoPass, he'll tell you real quick that "deers were the ruination of hunting".
But still, different strokes.

Under the new rules, hunters could use turkey decoys, crossbows and sights on muzzleloaders -- practices that are all currently banned