Danielle Holliday”s letter Jan 24, 2007 sounds like a personal issue overall with killing animals rather than the enormous and diverse job that our game wardens do on a daily basis.
The Mission of the Department of Fish and Game is to manage California”s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.
The Department of Fish and Game maintains native fish, wildlife, plant species and natural communities for their intrinsic and ecological value and their benefits to people. This includes habitat protection and maintenance in a sufficient amount and quality to ensure the survival of all species and natural communities. The department is also responsible for the diversified use of fish and wildlife including recreational, commercial, scientific and educational uses.
These Wardens are to enforce the laws put forth by the State of California. In a nut shell, without our wardens there would be no wildlife for the “hunters or the animal lovers” to have in this beautiful state. The Wardens ensure that the animals are there for everyone.
Hunting is legal in this state so long as you have followed the proper procedures and abide by the law, so why is it that our game wardens don”t have the same rights as everyone else in the state? Their ability to hunt when they are off duty has no effect on their job performance and if it does, I can assure you that they are being watched under a large microscope.
If the concern is about killing animals then we should focus on the amount of animals being poached by individuals violating the law and how at this rate we won”t have anymore animals to have debates about. As it stands, there are only two felonies in the Fish and Game code if I understand it right. We as citizens need to help get the rest of the codes increased from misdemeanors to felonies, to make these poachers responsible for their actions, and then both the animal lovers and the hunters will win. The portion of illegal hunters far out numbers the hunters that do everything by the book. Let”s commend those hunters for doing things right instead of condemning them.
Maybe Ms. Holliday should go on a ride-along to just see the majority of their duties in one shift. It could be eye opening and interesting.
Tamara Hodel
Helendale
