Editor,
This is the first time ever for me to write to the opinion page, but after reading the article in last Saturday’s edition concerning us duck hunters getting kicked out of Crockett Lake I could not just let it go.
I have been living on Whidbey for most of the last 35 years, having got here by way of the Navy and decided to retire here. Like that little Cajun boy thought to be unable to talk since birth, but one day suddenly started yelling explained it when his mama ran out of rice — “up to now, everything’s been OK.”
For most of those 35 years, if I wasn’t on a cruise somewhere I managed to find my way to a duck blind and quite often at Crockett Lake. It was never crowded there and close to home. Local hunters and the landowners seemed OK with us.
I have never heard any complaints from the neighbors. I don’t ever recall seeing more than a couple vehicles parked there at any one time. It was a great way to enjoy the outdoors and unwind. It probably takes a person that truly loves it to endure sitting in the mud for hours on end with rain and wind and freezing weather just for recreation. Low I.Q.?
If you are a real duck hunter, you understand. If you are not, then you never will. And now, along comes Whidbey Camano Land Trust to save the planet!
Last time I counted I think there are 186 state parks in Washington, hundreds more county and city parks and a few national parks. No hunting allowed on any of them. Do we really need to kick those idiots out of that mud hole down there?
The article mentioned something about hunting not being compatible with a game refuge. Maybe the Land Trust should talk to somebody with the Washington Fish and Game. They have been doing quite well with that concept for years.
The Land Trust has been acquiring land on this island for years. At first it always sounds great. Then they put up their signs calling it preserving it for us. That’s all great. But then they put up the “no trespassing” signs. There’s not much advertising that part though.
Of course all the money for these properties come from grants and donations so it must be all right. Ever wonder about the tax money lost on all these deals?
You can bet somewhere down the line us taxpayers will have to pony up.
To be fair, I am sure the Land Trust means well, but they tend to forget about the local people who will be affected by what they believe to be best for us.
How about just leave things alone? I rather doubt if there’s a whole lot of Realtors lined up to buy that little piece of swamp land anyway.
Dennis Clark
Oak Harbor
