I Think They May be Starting to Understand

[placertogo]

Today was the first day of turkey hunting in Maine but only for under age 18 hunters accompanied by an adult who is only along to supervise. I was a little sad when a man who had hunted here for several years came by with his son. He noticed I had posted my land. I told him that his sport is hunting and mine is gold prospecting. I explained LD1671 and how this is severely limiting our hobby for no good reason. I explained that taking so many streams away from motorized prospecting was like taking firearms away from hunters and only allowing them to hunt with a slingshot. He seemed a little skeptical. I then told him, "Listen, I don't think you get it. The same people who want us prospecting with only a pan and trowel are the people who want to take YOUR guns away." Finally, there was a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

 

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[Red James Cash]

I Think They May be Starting to Understand

Unfortunately only some of them who are able to,and still have,the ability to think things out for,and to reason,for themselves.The rest cant live without being told how to.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Today was the first day of turkey hunting in Maine but only for under age 18 hunters accompanied by an adult who is only along to supervise. I was a little sad when a man who had hunted here for several years came by with his son. He noticed I had posted my land. I told him that his sport is hunting and mine is gold prospecting. I explained LD1671 and how this is severely limiting our hobby for no good reason. I explained that taking so many streams away from motorized prospecting was like taking firearms away from hunters and only allowing them to hunt with a slingshot. He seemed a little skeptical. I then told him, "Listen, I don't think you get it. The same people who want us prospecting with only a pan and trowel are the people who want to take YOUR guns away." Finally, there was a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

I hope he tells everyone he knows, and they understand, or at least listen, weigh the pros and cons.
I recently met a fly fisherman while prospecting. He was Interested, observed what i was doing , and we talked.
This (sluice box I informed him..) seems to do little or no damage to the creek.
I explained, no it does not, and we talked about the misconceptions, spread by the "greenies"
I told him some think that catch & release, 90% of those fish die.
We both agreed we are on the same side.
If it was just that easy

 

[goldenIrishman]

Sometimes all it takes is a friendly conversation to teach someone how to open their eyes and look around at what is really happening.

Like my old neighbor taught me many years ago... "You can teach anything to anyone as long as you can put it into terms that THEY can understand."

It doesn't matter who we talk to while we are out mining as long as when they leave it's as a friend. I've made a LOT of friends while working my claim which has a portion of the Arizona Trail running right through the middle of it. We get a lot of traffic through the claim and many a hiker will stop in to see what we're doing and not just on weekends. As I often work out at the claim for a week at a time I'm amazed at how much traffic there is out there during the middle of the week.

So it's always a good thing to stop and chew the fat for a bit with people you meet while mining and prospecting. That off-roader or hiker might just be the one that steps up to help you fight for your rights!

 

[timberjack]

Took away our right to dredge with no evidance of harm! Dredging has been going on for how long in maine? And are the fish populations in danger? The swift river is one of the most worked rivers yet it has a very strong population according to forest bonneny and mr. Colgan...but you cant explaine that to lawmakers who dont listen to facts or science...
I take my hat off to you,,its going to be a steep fight uphill to get our rights back from the greenies across the country but with dedicated people like you and others i have met in this fight at least we have a chance.....