Just joined you. Hi everyone.

[Gr8 Scout]

Wanted to introduce myself. Nice to meetcha all. Nice site here and you all seem like real outdoorsmen (probably some outdoorsladies here as well, a tip of my boonie hat)

[Liver and Onions]

Hi
If you're coming to the Woods-n-Water Weekend in Imlay City, I would like to show you a couple of knives.

L & O

[PrtyMolusk]

Howdy,Gr8 Scout-

Welcome aboard! You have indeed found Michigan's premier outdoor website. Lots of great folks on these boards, and plenty of opportunities to meet fellow members.

Looking forward to your posts.....

[huntingfool43]

Gr8 Scout

Wecome to the best outdoors site on the net. There are a lot of great people here and a wealth of info. Welcome aboard.

[DEERSLAYER]

Welcome!

[Lunker]

Welcome! :D

[redwinger00]

Welcome, welcome, welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[flyrod4steelhead]

Welcome to the site. Enjoy :D

[timj]

Welcome to the best site around, Gr8 Scout

[Ron L]

Welcome. You don't have to be crazy to hang out here, but it helps. :D

[Gr8 Scout]

Thank you for the nice, warm welcome, guys. This does look like a friendly, informative place.

[NEMichsportsman]

Welcome GR8!!!!!!You will not regret joining!

I am always curious how new members came to find the forums, and how long were you a reader before posting?

[Gr8 Scout]

JP, I just happened to be surfing the net and typed into my search engine: 'michigan outdoor forum'. I just scanned a few of the forums and decided to stay a bit.

Nice to meetcha.

[Thunderhead]

Welcome aboard !!

[fredbear50]

Welcome!!! Everyone here is very friendly besides that Rabbit Whacker guy.

[rabbit whacker]

Freddy. Play nice.

Uncle Rabbit Whacker

[stevebrandle]

Glad you found us, scout, pull up a log and stay a bit.

[Whit1]

Gr8
Welcome aboard this most excellent site. Visit us oten and share what you know and your experiences.

[Gr8 Scout]

I dunno, Whit. I've made a couple of posts giving my opinion on the idea of a dove season, and I really seemed to have hacked off some of the regulars here. Suffered a few insults as well.

I was under the impression 'forum' was a place to exchange ideas, discuss the issues and engage in a little bit of friendly debate.

I can list my memberships in many hunting/firearm ownership organizations here, as some members do, but I don't. Nor do I march lockstep with any of them.


Scout

[Whit1]

GR8,
I just read through the posts on the proposed dove season, your comments as well as others. Actually the dialog was somewhat tame with no direct insults involved. It seemed to be a matter of disagreement, which is bound to happen.

Now if you want to see some rancorous comments take a look at some fo the comments in the QDM Forum from pre-2003. There are examples of some raised hackles, although the worst posts may have been deleted by a moderator...........LOL!

As for a dove season, if we have one fine, if we don't that's okay. I have to recognize what I can change, what I can't, and more importantly the difference between the two.

[stevebrandle]

Scout,

You posted your thoughts on the dove season and I posted mine. I don't think any less of you for your opinion as I hope you respect my view.

Other members may have been a little less diplomatic in their responses, but when you swat the hornet's nest like you did with the "hunt doves off the bird feeder in the backyard", don't expect this group to sit back and not say a word.

As with all fights, you have to be totally with one side or the other. A hunter may belong to every organization in the world, but it's how they respond in a battle that will show their true colors.

[Walligator]

Welcome to the site! I think you'll really enjoy the suggestions, etc. on here. Have fun!

Walligator

[Gr8 Scout]

The shooting at the birdfeeder comment was not mine.

Your words here:

"As with all fights, you have to be totally with one side or the other. A hunter may belong to every organization in the world, but it's how they respond in a battle that will show their true colors."

Have further encouraged me to fight against the dove season. As in my initial post concerning this losing proposition, it is neither necessary nor prudent. It's a hot button issue with non-hunters and anti-hunters. It will eventually push more people against us. I've seen some statistics here that purport to show our great number, and thus voting power. Get real. Hunters are a minority in this state, as in all others. We need the goodwill of the non-hunting population to keep on hunting. Coming across as bloodthirsty killers, seeking to ice everything in the woods is not what we need.

Yes, I know the dove is a game bird in many other states. As perhaps it should be in this one. But the reality is that many people think of this little critter as a song bird, and again, as the sign of peace.

Shots

[stevebrandle]

I'm sorry to hear that you are opposed to the dove season for a number of reasons.

It's true that we don't have to "ice" every critter in the woods. I wouldn't shoot a raccoon, but I support the rights of hunters that want to. I've never hunted bear with hounds, but I support the hunters that do. The dove bill is at the cutting edge of the antihunting stratagy in Michigan, at the moment, and it's because of this we should seriously look at the big picture. A successful blockage of this bill encourages them to find a new hunting or fishing right to object to. And the next one might very well be a spieces you want to harvest. We only have to look to the western States that have lost the right to hunt bear over bait to realize the danger of indifference to supporting all of these issues.

Refering to a mourning dove as the "bird of peace" is technically incorrect, as you already know, and is a means of endearing this bird to nonhunters. It's no different than refering to a buck whitetail deer as "Bambi's father" or a black bear as "Yogi". This way of thinking is leading people further and further away from reality and the truth of where our food comes from. How can we kill the "majestic steer" just to make Big Macs? Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of PETA is to convert all of us to vegitarianism.

The propaganda would have all of us believe the mourning dove will disapear from the backyard feeder if hunted. The dozen or so doves that come to my yard would never see a hunter, unless they migrated to a southern state. Doves will stay in an area as long as there is a food and nesting source.

The world won't come to an end if Michigan dosen't have a dove season. The sportsmen that truely want to hunt them will just continue to support the economies in other states that permit it.

You're right when you mention the "hot button" this issue is. But, when emotions and humanistic tendencies are used to debate a subject, most people have a hard time seeing past them.

[Big Frank 25]

When I look up "Bird of Peace" in the dictionary this is the result.


bird of peace (plural birds of peace)

noun

white dove: a white dove as a symbol of peace



The Mourning Dove is not the White Dove!


Mourning Doves are a viable game bird!

[Gr8 Scout]

I arrest my case. I'll argue this point no longer. Funny how this whole thread started with me introducing myself, and led to all of this. I do think I find myself in excellent company here, with fine folks. People that stand by their beleives and convictions get nothing but respect from me. There will be other topics, no doubt some all of us will agree on, some we won't.

Once more, and very sincerely: Pleased to meet all of ya.

8

[dogjaw]

Well done Gr8. With an attitude like that, glad to have you aboard.

[stevebrandle]

I'll second that, dogjaw.

This isn't a competion of one-up-manship here. Hopefully, we all can express our thoughts and keep on the high road.

Again, glad to have you scout.

[SARDog]

I don't know how low of a number has to be for a minority, but if we have 1 million plus deer hunters, and close to another million small game and add waterfowl, turkey, bear, elk and trappers and fishing we might have close to 3 million in this state alone.
I like the odds of that minority againgst most of the others in Michigan. Maybe 1 to 2 million of the majority are too lazy to vote or could care less because they feel the polititians will not help them. :)

[Lunker]

Gr8scout when are you going to get some throwing knives already??:)

[Gr8 Scout]

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=10815

In my Gallery... Top knife in the photo is the Buck Damascus Dagger, the bottom is the Case 303 thrower, one of the most elegant tossing knives ever made, I think. Most modern throwers made for use by the Knife throwing association are constructed up to the maximum length, 19", I think, making them pretty ugly and ungainly for carrying.

Most of these I come across I sell to Case or bootknife collectors, too bad, as with some practice, they do toss nicely.

[Hunter333]

Welcome to your newest addiction, this site!! As for going to the QDM forum to see some hootin and hollerin, I suggest staying away :) Glad to see you didnt run off after the dove posts and replies. "Well done Gr8. With an attitude like that, glad to have you aboard."

[Banditto]

Welcome.

What part of Lansing are you from? My in-laws live in town.