Pine Knot News - A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news

In your Dec. 22, “Our View” editorial and its “thumbs down” of the new Hunters4Hunters group, it was obvious to me that the individual writing this biased view either did not attend the Carlton meeting or was sleeping through the presentation. As a hunter for over 60 years, I was in attendance and listened attentively to the speakers because neither the DNR nor the state government has been listening to deer hunters for years.

This wolf crisis has been brewing for years prior to this meeting and has finally reached a crescendo due to the total decline of the deer population north of Highway 210. Let’s face the hunter-reported facts, the rapid decline of deer is due to an overpopulation of wolves coupled with the last three long winters. As an apex predator, the wolves continue to grow their ranks and continually feast on deer. The Hunters4Hunters speaker was quick to state that we don’t care if there is a “D” or an “R” after a state legislator’s name as long as they listen and work toward resolving the wolf issue in the state. It just so happens that the only state legislators to show up and listen were Republicans. The same with those at the Minnesota capital who were asked to meet with the group.

It is hard to comprehend the lack of concern by state legislators when a $500 million industry is at risk in a state run by Democrats, until one looks deeper. I’d say the Democrats don’t care.

In my opinion, Democrats are too concerned about smoking their dope, aborting their children, giving illegal aliens driver’s licenses, feeding every child in the state regardless of income, defunding the police, approving a third-grade art project for the new state flag, and continuing to over-tax its citizens then call it a surplus so they can spend it on their communist agenda.

Being so busy, why would any Democrat listen to deer hunters, let alone attempt to care about the deer population and young hunters?

Yes, as stated in your column, the Hunters4Hunters are busting down the doors in the halls of power because they are listening to hunters and doing something about it. If you don’t believe this is a political issue, just look at the attendance of the men, women, and children at the Hunters4Hunters meetings across the state. The governor and state legislators had better get their heads out of their rear ends and get to work before the next generation of hunters is lost … or is this what they want?

Rich Schimenek, Cloquet