[Birdtalk] Barred owls in Utah

[Tim Avery]

Lu, David and others,

I agree, and well, disagree.  On one hand there are the "Barny Fife" type we ran
across in San Juan County, who are so caught up thinking that everyone is out
breaking the law, that they have lost the vision of what they are really
supposed to be doing.  Guys like him have one mind set.  People break laws, and
therefore all people are potentially going to hurt the wildlife.  In his mind
and maybe his heart he thinks that what he is doing or how he is acting is
going to protect the animals.  So in a way he is doing his job.

On the other hand from my perspective, and yours, he is going about it in
completely the wrong way.  I have met plenty of Fish and Game guys and DWR
officers who are the friendliest folks out there.  They will sit and talk
wildlife, and even birds (whether they know all that much about them or not)and
explain why the regulations are how they are.  They wont act like Johnny Law,
telling you they are gonna ticket you for being in the vicinity of an
endangered species.  Instead they will tell you how you can help to protect
that bird/animal, and the best way to see them without disturbing them.  For
the most part, most of the biologists/employess of these groups have the best
interest of the wildlife in mind, and also understand the public. 
Unfortunately, there are those who think the public are "stupid", and don't
knwo how to act, or knwo anything about what they are doing.  In our case
birding.  Now granted there are some stupid people out there, who definately
don't help, and do stupid things.  Many people who are out to view the
wildlife, don't have the best interest of the animal in mind, tey are there to
see it, and thats all that matters.  Again, an unfortunate mind set, but a
truthful one.

All I am saying is it goes both ways.  "I find myself asking why in the world I
should bother entering into such a one-sided relationship?"  The best way I can
answer this is to say, maybe YOU or I or anyone else can open the eyes of some
of these people to see that not everyone on the "public" side is out to harm
the wildlife.

No one has to help the DWR out, but there is always the frame of mind, to "be
the bigger person", and helping them out in turn helps out the birds we watch.

Just something to chew on...

Good Birding

Tim

p.s. Keep those good bird reports coming from San Juan County; open our eyes to
the hideden treasures down there.