Paintball guns the solution to deer troubles
It upsets me, and many others, that the collective intellect of our elected and non-elected officials (here, there and everywhere) continue to rationalize that the best way to deal with our deer “problem” is to cull them to reduce their numbers in our midst.
This ongoing bravado from cowardly individuals suggests that killing deer is the paramount means for protecting our precious gardens and beloved pets and that their presence is not desired or admired by most citizens. I assert these are wrong!
Given that public officials create more hardship for citizens than deer do, should we extrapolate that culling is the best way to deal with them also?
Deer are majestic, intelligent creatures and we cannot assert we are superior to them; we kill our own kind.
We should be honoured that they find us safe enough to live with.
Their presence among us has been exacerbated by several factors.
First, the presence of their natural predators, like wolves and coyotes, is not prominent within city limits. Second, they realize human predators will not hunt them within city limits.
Third, as farms and orchards have been increasingly protected and fenced, the fallen fruit has been denied them while increasing the food supply for rats and vermin. They eat mostly fallen, rotting fruit!
I have heard a senseless argument that these deer are not native to this region; to wit I argue, neither are we!
There is a more humane solution for directing the actions of the deer, rather than killing them like heathens, and still maintaining their gracious presence among us.
A couple years ago a man, who lives very close to where I do, decided he no longer wanted the deer eating the rose bushes and sapling fruit trees in his yard.
One morning, as the deer entered his yard and approached his trees to eat, he shot one of the elder deer in the ass cheek with his paintball gun.
Later that evening he did the same to a lone deer that entered his yard to eat the same trees.
Thereafter, and now years later, the deer continue to wander past his yard, even nibbling his unprotected cedars, but they have never approached his roses or fruit trees again. Deer do share intelligence!
Oh, I know. Some narrow-minded individuals would think it tragic that people protect their yards in this manner and the police would expect a myriad of reports from same, but I contest that a stray or ricochet bullet from an official “culler” would pose a much greater threat to society.
A bullet can pass through a building. A fatality would occur sooner or later.
For those who are unable to get or shoot a paintball or airsoft gun, I would suggest the city seek assistance from the local army cadet corp.
They have many respectable young people trained in the use and care of such equipment, who would be eager to help their fellow citizens; especially if they aren’t having to kill the deer!
Perhaps our officials would then share this resolve with their counterparts in other communities.
Lindsey Hall
Penticton
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Climate change is real
(re: Latest report confirms climate change a hoax, Letters, Western news, Oct. 4)
Before I refer to Mr. Sturhahn’s letter, I wish to thank you for your paper’s sponsorship of the local movie event in Penticton (through the local art gallery).
Thanks to your sponsorship I was able to see a film I had long awaited.It never entered local theatres to my knowledge and it has not yet been released on DVD, namely the film Before Midnight.
It’s not necessarily a film for everyone but it is part of a series of films that I enjoy and relate to, so thank you for making it possible for me to see it at the local Landmark theatre.
Now as for Mr. Sturhahn’s letter about the climate change hoax, what is his master’s degree in, may I ask, or does he have any scientific training or knowledge at all?
I admit, the whole global warming agenda has made its mistakes such as referring to global warming rather than just adverse global climate change. I think almost anyone who pays attention to such things would note that there are times of unseasonably warm, hot or cold weather and there is unexpected snowfall or longer durations of it.
For example, I experienced the worst winter of my life in Guildford just a few years ago and I am sure that there was never a previous winter like it in my memory.
I strongly believe that winter was due to climate changes whether it is in terms of the polar regions getting warmer or my region getting colder. It has been shown that ice areas have been melting which would appear to be evidence of warming in the polar regions.
Does auto pollution lead to these changes? Possibly. I doubt even scientists are wise enough to either prove or disprove any links. Does the smoke from the thousands, if not millions, of smokestacks, whether residential or industrial, throughout the world contribute to the decline of our temperatures, our climates? Possibly.
I would be willing to suggest that the hundreds of years of industrial pollution have helped to destroy our planet, bit by bit, and perhaps it is partly responsible for the sea conditions and some of the worst storms we have experienced. It could also be due to influences upon our planet by the solar stars and other planets, for all we really know about the earth and the solar system.
Anyway, Mr. Sturhahn, you have the right to spout whatever you wish in your letters, within reason, but perhaps you might wish to think a bit before possibly making a fool of yourself by what you have written?
Patrick Longworth
Okanagan Falls
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Climate change evidence unequivocal
(re: Latest report confirms climate change a hoax, Letters, Western news, Oct. 4)
Contrary to the claim climate change is a hoax, the Summary for Policymakers of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I assessment report, Climate Change 2013: the Physical Science Basis (www.ipcc.ch) does nothing of the sort.
It states, “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia.
The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased.”
The 36-page summary goes on to elaborate on these and other points in some detail, providing supporting data and confidence levels.
The report has 34 drafting authors and 37 draft contributing authors from around the world, including two Canadians: Drs. Nathan Gillett and Gregory Flato, Environment Canada research scientists at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis in Victoria, B.C.
While we no doubt still have much to learn about how the climate system works, it is, after all, staggeringly complex, and it is important to challenge the validity of data and the interpretation thereof because this is how science advances, as someone who is not a climatologist, I found the information presented in the summary to be quite compelling in terms of supporting their conclusions, and would recommend that those who are interested read the report and draw their own conclusions about how credible it is.
Gordon Neish
Penticton
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Terry Fox Run a success
Thank you Penticton for another successful Terry Fox Run.
Sept. 15 marked the 33rd anniversary of the Terry Fox Run, and in Penticton 275 participants raised $5,675 for cancer research.
This was truly a community success story. This support started with the City of Penticton and the Penticton Indian Band, businesses, organizations and individuals lent their resources, talent and time to promote and support The Terry Fox Run. Thank you.
For The Terry Fox Run to succeed, dedicated volunteers stepped up to help before and during the run, 25 wonderful people just asked how they could help and carried out the tasks needed. Thank you.
We would like to thank Steve King and Dennis Walker for announcing the programs and keeping everyone informed during registrations and from the start of the program until runners were coming in.
We thank you gentlemen for a wonderful job.
It was a real honour to have Doug Alward as our guest. Doug and Terry grew up together in Port Coquitlam and he later drove the motorhome for Terry in 1980 in the Marathon of Hope.
He spoke of Terry’s fierce determination and perseverance to improve his skills in basketball and his trait of never giving up, these traits would again be tested on a daily basis as he ran across Canada.
He spoke of Terry’s challenges and fears on a daily basis. Thank you Doug for sharing your experiences with Terry. It was inspiring for all of us that day.
Doug also compared Terry’s run to cancer research, one step at a time, and yes progress is being made.
The Terry Fox Foundation thanks all who registered and ran here, and all who pledged or donated money for cancer research.
Your efforts and generosity are what keep Terry’s dream alive today.
Penticton and district is truly a caring and generous community and on behalf of all volunteers it was my wife’s and my pleasure to serve as organizers and we hope to see you next September at the SS Sicamous. Thank you.
Bill and Milly Palmer
Organizers, Terry Fox Run 2013
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Fortis execs should read meters
Those of us on the equalization payment plan with Fortis are concerned with the eventual outcome of the lockout at Fortis BC as it applies to what will be the final tally of our year-end assessment.
Our meters are not being read, but are just a guess according to the previous year’s usage.
We still get a bill but this is a waste of paper as it does not mean a thing. Evidently management receives $100,000 plus per year so why aren’t they out there reading the meters until the lockout is over?
I would bet that it would soon come to an end if the business suits were forced to personally read the meters regardless of the weather, angry householders and the vicious dogs.
Donald E Thorsteinson
Oliver