Through the years, responsible hunters have probably seen their hunting grounds shrink as different landowners post their property. I have lost hunting grounds in the past because hunters had confrontations with the landowners.

Hunters need to realize that hunting on land they do not own is not a right but a privilege. If a hunter damages, steals or does anything the owners do not like, that privilege can be taken away for good.

I am sad to say that, as a hunter and a landowner, I have now closed my land to hunting. People who use other people’s property for recreation or any other reason need to realize that, eventually, they will not be able to do those things unless they police their own ranks. Just one bad apple quickly ruins it for everyone else.

Whether it is hunting, ATV riding, snowmobiling or skiing — all those sports rely on using other people’s land.

We need to protect our sports by being respectful of the owners of the land we play on. To me, that is just common sense.

Rick Jewell, Buckfield

Copy the Story Link