Editor,

The letter by Madeline Rose regarding hunting rules needs some corrections. It seems she believes hunters are evil individuals that trespass, litter, drink and drive, waste or sell game meat, damage roads and fire guns in violation of the noise ordinance.

Trespassing is illegal whether hunting or not and is mentioned in the state hunting regulations. Other illegal acts like littering, shooting along roads or after hours, wasting or selling of game meat and poaching are all mentioned in the hunting regulations.

After a 20-minute wait I was able to talk with a fish and wildlife representative at the Mill Creek office regarding baiting. She told me that baiting for deer is legal and that baiting bear and water fowl are the only exceptions.

The animal carcasses I have seen along side of roads were most likely killed by motor vehicles. In the state hunting regulations and in the Island County Code Chapter 9.60.030A8 of the noise ordinance, it states that discharging a firearm from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise is illegal, unless it is done on an authorized shooting range.

Rose says that the noise ordinance is in effect from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. when it is actually 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The state big game hunting regulations do cover Island County and, in fact, has specific requirements for firearms.

Island County has its own hunting requirements as listed in the Code of Ordinances. Some of my neighbors are elderly, over 50, and there are a number of shooters in our small community, yet I don’t feel compelled to run and hide when I hear a gun shot.

If I was within 50 feet of a shooter I would wear hearing protection. As in any population, there are some law breakers, but I wouldn’t vilify all hunters and shooters because of a few unlawful ones.

Alan Meaux

Oak Harbor