The socialist fishing guru, Tony Dean, posted this on his website today. Isn't it interesting that a strong supporter of liberal Democrat Tom Daschle shows up as mouthpiece for our supposedly conservative Gov. Rounds? This isn't so surprising when you remember that GF&P Sec. John Cooper was caught taking Eric Washburn, Daschle's aid who lives in DC, hunting using a resident hunting license. Although both men knew they were breaking the law, nothing happened to either of them. Interesting?
Open Fields and the Future
Now that the attempt to do away with the "Open Fields" doctrine, that makes it possible for Conservation Officers to go onto private land to check for game law compliance is mostly settled, what's the aftermath and where do we go from here.
First, let's pass out a few accolades. Our thanks and congratulations to Gov. Mike Rounds for his leadership on this issue. Though we were aware of his own personal lobbying, we were asked to keep it out of the headlines. However, lawmakers Eric Bogue and Larry Rhoden made it public in an interview with the Rapid City Journal. The Governor's willingness to stand up for what's right is a mark of leadership.
Next, Chris Hesla and Dave Nauman of the SD Wildlife Federation deserve congratulations. They have evolved into one of the most effective lobbying teams in the legislature. Most important, they have taken the SD Wildlife Federation from an organization concerned primarily with hunter rights to one more concerned with conservation and what's best for South Dakota. They have been diligent, persistent, realistic and honest.
Hats off also to John Cooper, Secretary of Game, Fish & Parks. He's never wavered and he's bent over backward to work with west river landowners. He's also deserving of recognition for working on policies that result in more professionalism among conservation officers.
And finally, the sportsmen of South Dakota deserve recognition. They flooded lawmakers with emails and phone calls, and that made the difference in a House of Representatives that passed the same legislation a year ago.
Certainly the burden is on the conservation officers themselves, and I will say that most operate in a highly professional manner.
But there's something else South Dakotans should recognize.
There's been a big changing of the guard in the CO ranks in recent years, and it goes without saying that the longer one is on the job, the more experienced, the better he can become.
Most of the old timers we all equate with good game and fish law enforcement retired over the past decade. And there were some great ones like Duke Lamster and Bill Shattuck of Pierre, Harvey Binger of Britton, Swede Larson of Mobridge, Dan Limmer of Desmet, Owen Meadows of Hot Springs and many others.
Each of them operated with a high degree of common sense and spent a lot of time drinking coffee in farm and ranch kitchens.
I've no doubt the new bunch of younger CO's will learn that you kill more flies with honey, too. What we have to remember is that to the public, the employees they see most often BECOME the Department of Game, Fish & Parks.
A CO has a difficult job. He is the county fish expert, wildlife biologist, dead deer picker-upper, the guy who gets the cat out of the tree, the land specialist, and public relations specialist. He has to have a knowledge of agriculture that includes understanding cattle prices and fertilizer costs. Most have that because most Conservation Officers grew up on farms and ranches.
And when all of those duties are done, he is a game and fish law enforcer. Not to mention the fact that he is also often called in as an enforcement officer on other crimes having nothing to do with fish or game.
And many CO's are still young, having recently graduated from college. That aside, we need to recognize that they now must have degrees in fish and wildlife management and they also receive more law enforcement training than their predacessors received.
An old conservation officer once told me that some people are geared to do all of these jobs, and that the most important task is establishing a good relationship with the landowners in his area.
Some can do that...and do it well. There are rarely problems in their areas.
Others, a minority to be sure, are uncomfortable in their relationships with farmers and ranchers. Their comfort level rides in the cab of their pickup. They become fulltime game wardens and may issue their share of tickets, but accomplish little else. However, they are a distinct minority.
Their job is complicated by a court decision a few years ago that said CO's can't work more than 40 hours per week. Truth is, sometimes the job demands more, and at odd hours too. Remember, most waterfowl and deer hunters are out there in prime times, sunrise and sunset. So must the conservation officer be there too.
I've always believed that if there is a shining star among various law enforcement officers, it's the highway patrolman. I have never personally experienced anything but total respect and professionalism from a highway patrolman.
That professionalism should be emulated.
But let's understand also that just as there probably are a few CO's who have overstepped their bounds, there are more than a few landowners out there, especially in recent years, who have been running around with a chip on their shoulder.
I'd bet I've heard that term "property rights" more over the past couple of years than at any point in history. Others I've talked with about this agree.
It's not an accident, because if you pick up the pages of Wise Use Movement sympathizing periodicals like Range Magazine, you'll get the feeling that everyone's picking on ranchers. And some Wise Use Movement spokesmen travel the west, preaching discontent. Normally, they are ineffective, but during tough times, such as when cattle prices are low and ranchers are struggling, they'll point out the convenient scapegoats. And almost always, that will be the government, but specifically an agency like Game, Fish & Parks.
But for the most part, the vast majority of ranchers are good people, proud and independent, and most get along well with their neighbors and their local conservation officers. You don't hear from them.
And of course, any discussion of this issue needs to address the Lockout. These folks claim to have 2 million acres of land closed to hunting. Whether they do or do not, is a moot point. But efforts such as the lockout, which penalize only two groups; hunters and the ranchers themselves, make little sense. If, in fact, hunting is not allowed, the next cold winter will have deer all over haystacks in western South Dakota.
And then they'll demand that Game, Fish & Parks do something about it.
No one in South Dakota has a tougher job than John Cooper. He's a reasonable, accommodating guy, who tries to operate logically when dealing with illogical constituencies. Most would tire of the late night calls, the harrassing manner of some of those constituents, but South Dakota should consider itself fortunate that we have a John Cooper.
And we should also recognize the people we started patting on the back at the outset; Chris Hesla, Dave Nauman and others who have worked tirelessly when it would have been easier to just go fishing.
And certainly, we all owe Gov. Mike Rounds a thank you. His leadership will be felt for many years on this issue.
The problems will begin solving themselves. CO's will grow older, more tolerant, and maybe some of the discontents in the ranching community will realize that we're all in this together and none of us is planning on moving. Thus, we might as well get along.
