Cast "n" Blast

[Basshound]

I recall a few months back some anglers in the Niagara Bar area complaining about some US duck hunters spraying some shot around the river mouth dangerously close to some NFN posters. They would fish and hunt on the same trip. Well some of those ran into some trouble with the law. Read below.

OUTDOOR SCENE

By Joe Ognibene: 50 year veteran outdoor writer

Sunday June 17 2007

In an operation dubbed “cast and blast” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents documented hundreds of migratory bird hunting violations by 11 area fishing guides who have pleaded guilty and paid fines totaling $14,450. Included in the eleven who entered guilty pleas are some from Niagara Falls and the surrounding area.

Federal agents said hundreds of migratory bird hunting violations by the guides, during the three-year-long investigation, were cited. The federal and state laws that were violated ranged from failing to tag a carcass, taking more than a daily limit of birds, shooting from a motorized vehicle, wanton waste, transporting illegally taken migratory birds to transporting live wounded birds. Most of the birds killed were scoters and long tailed ducks, which generally are not classified as good eating ducks. One attempt was made to kill a common loon, for which there is no hunting season. Agents said in some instances they were instructed to sit on the prow of the boat and shoot at ducks as the boat chased them. Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Healy said, “The guides were operating like the Wild West, as if hunting was unregulated.” “They showed complete disregard for laws protecting migratory birds.” The violations occurred on the Niagara River and Lake Ontario.

The Niagara Falls area guides are well known to many of us who held them in high esteem and respect. Those days are now gone. It is unlikely any of those who pleaded guilty will be asked to be a guest speaker at any conservation club in the near future. Now when we, or anyone who knows them, might meet them we will probably think of them as game violators who operated outside the law for a few bucks. Law abiding hunters would not knowingly violate a game law and have no patience with those who do. The investigation and arrests came about as the result of tips to game protectors. No doubt there are so-called sportsmen who hired the guides and participated in the “cast and blast” who have yet to be charged and they should be. Two of those arrested and fined said they felt the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should not have made the proceedings public by issuing a news release giving names of the violators. They probably feared the publicity would harm their charter businesses. Undoubtedly most are chagrined and shamed, not to mention the hefty fines, up to $3,225 each which some paid. To paraphrase a line from a one-time favorite television cop show, Barreta, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”

Just about every time you turn around a new poll comes out. It could be about the toothpaste you use, the car you drive, where you shop, do you prefer blondes or redheads and a myriad of other subjects, but Outdoor Life has a dandy poll going on. Mike Hanback, who writes for the prestigious outdoor magazine asked readers to comment about crossbows in his Big Buck Zone blog on the internet. At last count there were close to three-quarter million responses, both for and against the use of the crossbow in hunting. The problem with the poll is that anyone can vote as often as they want. That means those with a positive stance one way or the other can tip the results back and forth. A poll like this is meaningless but reading the responses was quite interesting. Hanback said with few exceptions this is the most civil and interesting debate he has ever seen on the crossbow question. He brought out the fact that Texas, Illinois and South Carolina will shortly join other states where the crossbow is a legal hunting instrument. The comments can be seen on the Outdoor Life web site. They are fascinating and give both sides of the ongoing argument to legalize or not the use of the crossbow.

Our senior senator from New York, Charles Schumer, (D-NY) isn’t making many points with sportsmen with his statement, “We’re going to hammer guns on the anvil of relentless legislative strategy. We’re going to beat guns into submission.” This from our representative who claims he wants to work with sportsmen and “respects” the Second Amendment. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who is aligned with Schumer on this, has been quoted as saying, “Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of Americans to feel safe.” What foolishness. Most of us feel a lot safer knowing we have a shotgun, rifle or handgun in the house to be used in case anyone decides we are an easy mark. Of course, one must realize speaking out against guns is a “bandwagon” topic. It sounds good when a politician is sounding off before a camera or microphone. It’s the same as saying you’re all for family values, Mom’s apple pie and chicken every Sunday. I hope Senator Schumer realizes there are many of us who are just as relentless to protect our rights to bear arms as he claims to be to take them away. Of course, if the gun control bandwagon shifts the other way you can bet your bottom dollar the politicians will too. But in the meantime it might not be a bad idea to let Schumer know you are not happy with his stance, bandwagon or not.

All systems are go as of Saturday when the bass season opened in New York and Ontario. Bass are being taken from the drift from Youngstown down to the Coast Guard station as well as off the sand bar in Lake Ontario. Brown tube jigs as well as shallow diving Rappalas are doing the trick. Lake Erie has turned on big time and bass can be found in water depths from seven to 10 feet. Live bait is attracting lots of sheephead.