Sportsmen can’t decide what they want
An interesting pair of commentaries that appeared in the Dec. 5 and Jan. 2 editions of PA Outdoors News were brought to my attention this week by Chet Krcil of Washington County Sportsmen’s and Conservation League.
The first commentary, written by Bill Miller, past president of Unified Sportsmen of PA, took statewide sportsmen’s groups to task for being ineffective in their lobbying for hunters and anglers.
The second commentary, which appeared the following month in reply to Miller, was penned by Lowell Graybill, current president of Pa. Federation of Sportmen’s Clubs.
Per Miller, the state sportsmen’s groups can’t point to many, if any, significant accomplishments in recent years.
As proof of this, he makes a number of points, including the lack of a merger between the game and fish and boat commissions, Sunday hunting, a return to traditional buck and doe seasons, waiving antler restrictions for seniors, permitting the use of semi-automatic weapons for hunting and a reduction in the number of doe license allocations.
Graybill takes Miller to task on a number of these issues, pointing out – rightly in some cases – that on many of these issues, there is no consensus among the state’s sportsmen. Therefore, many of the groups that lobby for sportsmen’s issues are unsure of what course to take.
In the end, both men are right – to a degree.
Because of the diversity of the state, sportsmen can’t come to anything close to a consensus on any number of issues.
Couple that with legislators who too often get backlash from the nonhunting public in suburban areas – semi-automatic rifles used for hunting? Oh the humanity! – and you’ve got a lot of nothing happening.
But until sportsmen can agree on what they want, the state will continue to be stuck in neutral on a number of issues.
• Green Valley (4-5) upset Irwin Post 228 (5-4) in Greater Pittsburgh and Suburban Rifle League action this week, 1,462-1,450, creating a little separation for Washington County teams Frazier-Simplex and Dormont-Mt. Lebanon.
Both local teams came back strong from their holiday break to record wins.
First-place Frazier-Simplex improved to 8-1 with a 1,477-1,454 win at Murrysville.
Zac Szabo led the way with a 299, while Christopher Thomas fired a 298, John Husk 297, Morgan Duerr 292 and Jim Husk 291.
Junior shooter Jack Graw led Murrysville with a 299.
The Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club improved to 7-2 with a 1,477-1,435 win at Allegheny.
Amy Smith continued her strong season for Dormont-Mt. Lebanon with a 299, while Tom Benedict, Dean Trew and Tom Gerner fired 295s and Nichollege Benedict had a 293.
Gene Lechmanick had a season-high 296 to lead Allegheny.
• There are reports of anglers hardy enough to brave the cold weather that are catching sauger and nice-sized walleye below the locks on the Monongahela River.
There are some beavers causing problems below Dutch Fork Lake dam. Beaver trapping season began Dec. 26 and runs through March 31 and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is looking for help with the problem.
Outdoors Editor F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.