Ivory Bills in SC...

[DRDUCK]

Wonder what school he went to?

[GMAC]

Hungry - Fergit it, Bo.

[Hungry Hunter]

I guess it was the food and drink that made me speak without being concise. This may be a big idea for some but my point is why not look at the rediscovery of the IBW as one of the only positive environmental stories in the past twenty years. Do you think there might be some funding coming due to this discovery which will help better protect the Cache River area. Why again is this a bad thing? If the hunting is as good as I've heard in this area then it must be for some reason huh. Do you think it might be the quality of the habitat? As hunters we pay more into the management and conversation of wildlife and land than the average citizen. So why not realize the lack of interest and concern until now about this "backwoods swamp" from all other groups. I know what you're probably thinking - protect hell that means that we can't hunt it. Not necessarily. Read the newspaper lately? Example the likely encroachment into Francis Marion due to the population increase within Chucktown area. What do you think will stop this a special species consideration or perhaps public outcry or maybe the federal government(National Forest), yah right. Development by gready parties is so rampant and widespread that before long there will be no large public tracts of land that are suitable or available for hunting by the average sportsman. If we dont find a revenue generating source to protect our public lands they will continue to disappear and go to hell. Been to Bear Island or pretty much any WMA lately, talk to the refuge manager and ask what would make the place better for wildlife, hunters and everyone. The answer will be funding.
Back to my point of finding a way to generate revenue for the conservation of these large tracts of valuable land. Why not start a fee system for the birdwatchers, and other outdoor interest groups. We pay alot and fairly often we gain nothing more then these groups do?
I dont really know what some peoples point is about the Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet or other extinct species. They were all hunted to extinction. Should we be proud of this? Hell no, we didn't do it. But we should learn from it. I don't know about you but the idea of getting to hunt the Passenger Pigeon (which now would surely be known as a dove species) is enough to give me wood. Can you imagine the sight of a flock of birds "which would darken the sky" coming in on the planted field with the gun aready. Maybe instead of acting like a bunch of macho dudes about the IBW rediscovery we should recognize that these things don't usually occur due to the fact that we don't have many places so undeveloped and wild left. So in summation for those that are confused about my post I will explain very simply. If we like to hunt and want our kids to hunt then maybe we should realize the underlying message about a extinct bird being rediscovered in an area that is so large we did'nt know it was there. So why again is the duck hunting so good there?
To answer somebodies point about what school I went to, the answer would be USC for my undergrad in environmental biology and Trident for EMT and currently another bachelors in nursing. Where did you go to school? Actually I don't give a damn. The other response that I have is about the identification of IBW when it comes to plumage. Do you know what the Pileated Woodpecker sounds like? It is pretty loud isn't it. The IBW is larger and louder and just like all other birds except for the mimics (catbird, mockingbird and brown thrasher) it has it's own distinct call.

[justpracticin]

I don't remember sex with your wife, but if you say so, I guess it was good.