Hunting of yesteryear gone in Montana

Last night I had a pleasant dream. I was a 14-year-old boy living in Great Falls and hunting deer for the first time. My father, brothers and I had just crossed the Missouri River using the ferry at Carter. Suddenly, we spotted four huge mule deer bucks.

After several shots, all four bucks were down, cleaned and strapped across the front fenders and trunk of our 1948 Kaiser.

We were home by 9:30. I awakened and dwelled on my childhood experiences until falling asleep once more.

Enter now the nightmare of today. I'm hunting deer last year. No access. And most land posted.

A few years ago, I reminisced with my former college hunting buddy during a family reunion.

After talking about our former fishing and hunting exploits, we sadly came to a similar conclusion: The hunting and fishing we knew as youths is gone forever in Montana.

We also agreed on causes for most of the change.

The thousands of outfitters and out-of-state landowners who use the hunting lands for their business profits.

We also wondered about the direction Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has taken the last 50 years. We concluded that they have failed the Montana sportsmen because:

-There are too many biologists vs. common sense.

-There are too many office workers vs. enforcement.

-There are too many fish holocaust programs.

-There are too many predators vs. game animals.

-There are too many U.S Fish and Wildlife officials in Montana.

I do not agree with the gill-netting program on Flathead Lake proposed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Their biologists should not agree.

Why? Because when this method is used, every fish whose gill is caught in the net will drown.

So they will not only kill lake trout, but will also kill bull trout, rainbow, whitefish, perch and any other fish, turtle or frog snared in the nasty nets.

Please, let common sense rise to the surface.

Griffin is a resident of Ferndale.