ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 28, 1996 TAG: 9612300067
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUGLAS MASON
ALWYN MOSS'S Dec. 5 letter to the editor (``Hunting for sport is bloody murder'') asks some interesting questions regarding the ``less beautiful and noble aspects of hunting.'' Moss first questions the connections between the monies generated by hunting and the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries (not the Game and Wildlife Commission that he incorrectly referred to), the National Rifle Association, and the many stores and business that gain financially and advertise in this newspaper.
I cannot speak for the stores that merchandise hunting equipment. Personally, I try to keep my spending to reasonable levels, but prices are high due to the extra taxes levied. (More on that subject later.) The National Rifle Association has absolutely nothing to do with my hunting experience. I am not a member.
The Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries is an asset to both hunting and non-hunting Virginians alike. Without the department, it is entirely possible that many of the game and non-game species that we take for granted would not thrive in Virginia. If you are a non-hunter and enjoy the casual observation of any game species in the state, you should consider that the department is almost entirely supported by proceeds from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and permits.
The remainder of the support is generated by the additional sales tax levied against sportsmen who purchase hunting and fishing equipment. For hunters, there is an 11 percent excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, a 10 percent tax on pistols and revolvers, and an 11 percent tax on certain archery equipment. Fishermen can expect a 10 percent excise tax on fishing equipment and a 3 percent tax on electric trolling motors and sonar fish finders.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the total excise tax collected during 1995 was $301.4 million dollars. This money will be appropriated to the states based on the land area of the state and the number of licensed hunters. It will be used for such things as fish and wildlife conservation through land acquisition, habitat improvement, research, education and other programs. The funds also will help pay for hunting-education programs, boating access and related recreation projects.
John Rogers, acting FWS director, says: "Hunters, anglers, and other sportsmen and women continue to contribute the lion's share of the funding for fish and wildlife conservation in America; the hundreds of millions of dollars they pay in excise taxes and license fees are the backbone of state efforts to conserve our fish-and-wildlife resources for future generations.'' In the 1930s, sportsmen lobbied Congress to impose these taxes because they believed so strongly in the concept of wildlife conservation. As you can see, there is much more to the monetary connection than meets the uninformed eye.
If I had hunted for status, publicity or money, I would have been badly disappointed during the past 12 years. And to suggest that is the rule rather than the exception among hunters is ludicrous. As far as trophies are concerned, every deer I have ever killed has been a trophy in my mind, but very few have been trophies in others' minds. I have had fun hunting. The fun is not attained by shooting an animal, but by the company you keep and the experiences you share with that company. I do hunt for food, though it is not required by my station in life. I have never killed a deer that was not consumed by me, a member of my family or close friends. There are several hunters in my family, and when we have a successful hunt, we process the meat ourselves.
Hunting is not brutal. I am not a brutal person; the people that I hunt with are not brutal people. Hunting involves death to the animal being pursued. Death is a part of life, just as life is a part of death. In the real world, one animal's death leads to another animal's life.
Alwyn Moss is correct about one thing: Brutality does have many faces. But very few of those faces will be found in the ranks of hunters or fishermen. (According to FWS statistics, more than 15 million hunters bought licenses during 1995, and more than 30 million anglers bought licenses. This is a very small portion of the population to be causing such brutality. )
Brutality is a group of large, over-muscled men beating up a smaller, albeit fleet-of-foot man on a college campus in Blacksburg. Brutality is people killing each other over traffic disputes on Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia. Brutality is much of the fare that can be found in the Roanoke and New River Valley's movie theaters.
I seriously doubt if the decay of the ethical and moral fabric of our society can be traced to hunting and/or fishing. There are great lessons to be learned from hunting, such as a respect for nature and the value of shared experiences with fellow hunters. It is too bad some individuals feel threatened by something that they do not understand.
Douglas Mason lives in Rocky Mount.
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