To the editor:
I have been a hunter in the Stratford area for nearly 60 years. I used to be able to walk out the door and go hunting in the surrounding forest. As more and more land was developed, I found remoter places to hunt. For many years, I walked 40 minutes to a tree stand near Stratford Bog. Every year, I shot a large buck (no does or skippers).
One year, I noticed red flags. The next time I went, there was a new ATV trail by my tree stand that ran through a small bog. There was no public hearing before the new ATV trail went in, so I had no chance to express my opinion.Â
Over the next two seasons, I never saw a deer there. Sometimes, I would walk in and discover four-wheelers were already there. Before that trail was built, the ATV-ers never knew it existed, so they cannot know what they have ruined.
Hunting has been one of the great pleasures of my life. I used to do shift work at the mill, and having a quiet place to go after the heat and noise of the mill meant a lot to me. I loved the peace and quiet of that remote stand. Today, I'm pretty much back against the wall. My hunting has been taken away.
This summer, I put up a sign in my yard that says: "Help Save the North Country." It has a picture of an ATV in a circle with a diagonal slash across it. Some people have told me they like the sign, but are afraid to put one up on their property. Others have stopped waving to me.
With more ATV trails, more hunters on ATVs are overrunning once remote areas. Every time an ATV trail is put into a roadless, remote forest stand, it drives wildlife away. It puts more pressure on the deer population. I've noticed a decline in hares and grouse ("partridge"). Night riding stresses wildlife that is feeding. Even though Stratford has a 10 p.m. curfew, I've had ATVs go by my house at 2 a.m.Â
I've spoken with other long-time hunters in the area, and they agree that four-wheelers have had an effect on wildlife. One game warden admitted to me that ATV s are hurting the hunting. Twice as many New Hampshire residents buy hunting licenses than register ATVs, and Fish and Game sells nearly five times as many fishing licenses as ATVs registered with the state. Why isn't Fish and Game doing more to protect the state's fish and game?
Is New Hampshire Fish and Game conducting studies of the impacts of ATV s on wildlife? Are other hunters observing changes in wildlife behavior because of the heavy ATV traffic? Please let me and N.H. Fish and Game know your stories.
I urge the ATV clubs to use existing trails; don't make new ones. I urge the towns of Coos County to close their ATV trails for hunting season, as Pittsburg does.
I'd be happy to make one of my signs for you.
Richard StinsonÂ
StratfordÂ
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