[Wurm]

I live in Germany, hunting over here is NOT for sport. It is also not available for every person who can afford a gun like in America. To obtain a German hunting lisence one must first have a perfectly clean record. Secondly they must take a long extremely hard course and pass a colledge level exam. Finally the hunter pays close to 3000 US dollars to be issued his lisence.

Hunting is also controlled by the German goverment and every small town has a person who keeps tabs on the hunters assigned to his area and sees to the welfare of the wildlife in his area of control. Since Germany has no large predators left, we hunters are the only form of population control left. If we didn't "thin the herd" hundreds of deer would starve every winter.

I agree that what the greedy bastards did to the wolves in Alaska was a disgrace, however please do not lump all of us who hunt into that group. I spend many hours every year out in the woods keeping them clean and safe for the animals that live there by cutting deadfall and cleaning up after the hikers and kids who litter. I also have provided clear cuts in the wood with grain and corn for the deer to eat. Since all deer killed over here belongs to the state. I don't even get a chance to eat the meat from the deer I have harvested, unless I pay for it. If I chose not to buy the meat from the deer I have killed AFTER it has been checked by the local förstamt, it is then processed and provided at low to no cost for families in need.

[ 12-04-2002, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: Wurm ]