In retort to Linda Emily’s philosophy on life statement. As you know having gone to college to be a nurse/dietician, the hunter/gatherer society we sprang from is what allowed us as omnivores to prosper and increase our brain size due to higher caloric intake, to learn and teach our offspring to better our culture and knowledge for survival. You are also aware that medicine over the years has improved from bleeding patients their bad humors to the advent of medicines and research. Not 25 years ago female patients were treated the same as men. The gender difference is obvious but was not addressed. So because you ignored the obvious in a field you have knowledge in, let me enlighten you to a few facts.

Hunters and fishermen put hundreds of millions of dollars every year into environmental improvement of the terrain so wildlife can thrive. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has, since 1987, with the support of hunters, purchased ranches and key property, restoring them to nature and putting into the public trust about 2.5 million acres, via state and federal offices. At no cost to taxpayers.

Hunters and fishermen have, under state and federal programs, restored to nature through licenses and duck stamp programs more than 600,000 acres and restored the flyways so we now see ducks and geese migrating again after farmers drained and restructured their land for food production.

In the 1850s, the last elk was killed by a hunter for food east of the Mississippi River. Because of hunters reestablishing elk into areas in the last 25 years, there are now mroe than 10 viable herds of elk now east of that same river.

If it was not for the hunters and fishermen and their organizations to improve the state of wildlife, putting in their time and money, there would not be a wildlife for you to covet because, like most people who know nothing of the outdoors and how to maintain or invigorate to reintroduce wildlife you put no money nor time into making it better. So instead of criticizing something you know nothing about, stick with your garden.

Ron Savage

Poulsbo