Wow. Someone apparently doesn't like Mike Hendrickson and felt this would be the perfect thing to attack him over. Bad form there, and, as Terry just pointed out, breaks the rules of the listserve. But this post isn't about Mike (who, by the way, does and has done more for birds and birding in MN, and especially Sax-Zim Bog, than most.), it's about the issue of using fake mice and other, similar lures to attract owls, which I think most of us agree, is unethical.
Thank you Mike for bringing this to everyone's attention as it will affect everyone and everyone should have a say in it. Instead of bickering over who said what, let's focus on the pros and cons of this imminent legislation. First, what is the intent here? It would seem to me that the intent is to ban using fake mice to bait owls. That's pretty simple isn't it? The way this law is worded doesn't seem to make it so simple. And maybe the current wording, banning any means used to interact with owls is better for the owls anyway. But as Fr Paul says, it would seem that this wording is going to have some unintended consequences. With the current wording, it would make it illegal for anyone to even imitate an owl without a permit. As mentioned, anyone who is currently an owl surveyor would be required to apply for a permit simply to complete their volunteer survey route. Let me ask some other questions: how many of you saw your first owl while on a guided naturalist walk or with a hired guide? How many of you got into birding because of that experience? How many of you, because of that experience, felt compelled to protect a family of birds that we all love so much? How many of you have seen the joy on the faces of new birders, looking at their very first wild owl? How many of you have been those new birders and gotten hooked because of that? You have your naturalists and guides to thank for that experience. If this legislation goes through as written, that experience will become substantially more difficult to have. Owl walks may cease altogether due to the immense difficulty of finding owls without means of locating them. As Rebecca just mentioned, it would seem to me that even though this particular legislation is focused on owls, it could easily later be expanded to other species. So how much do we protect a species/family at the cost of losing the opportunity to educate others on the importance of protecting a species/family? Or just birds in general. Something to think about. --Chris W Madison, WI (and occasionally Duluth, MN) On Mon, Apr 14, 2014 at 3:44 PM, Chuck Cole <cnc...@earthlink.net> wrote: > Mikes posts ALWAYS contain promotion of his commercial services and are for > no other apparent purpose. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Fr. Paul Kammen [mailto:fr.p...@delanocatholic.com] > > Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 3:37 PM > > To: Chuck Cole > > Subject: Re: [mou-net] Luring Owls might be Illegal in MN NO > > > > I appreciate this post. I realize people will take different > > opinions on it, but Mike raises some very good points. As a > > photographer and birder, I do not want to face harassment as > > a number of people have due to some self-appointed > > conservation officers in the field declaring themselves the > > guardian of owls. > > > > I have already contacted my local representative who said he > > would work on amendments to get this language removed, and he > > agreed with me that it was a bad idea. So at least that is > > one no vote. > > > > MOU is not-for-profit, and I do not feel Mike was promoting > > himself - rather he was alerting users to a political issue > > as the session winds down. I feel we can have a civilized > > discussion on this, and do feel that it unfairly targets > > photographers and birders who use calls and could have > > unintended consequences. > > > > Thank you, Mike, for this post. > > > > Regards, > > Fr. Paul Kammen > > On Apr 14, 2014, at 3:28 PM, Chuck Cole <cnc...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > > > > I think I am looking at the big picture: all commercial > > baiting and luring > > > practices should be stopped as professional naturalists clearly and > > > repeatedly say. > > > > > > Your commercial exploitation of the MOU list should also be stopped. > > > > > > You only post in order to promote your commercial "guiding" > > and always > > > include ads and links for that. > > > > > > Isn't this a NOT-FOR-PROFIT list and organization? The > > true not-for-profit > > > groups and their activities are easy to accept, but your > > efforts are not. > > > > > > Your efforts here show that you are ONLY a commercial > > exploiter, not a > > > naturalist or part of a not-for-profit group. > > > > > > > > > > > > _____ > > > > > > From: Michael Hendrickson [mailto:michaelleehendrick...@gmail.com] > > > Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 1:59 PM > > > To: Chuck Cole > > > Subject: Re: [mou-net] Luring Owls might be Illegal in MN NO > > > > > > > > > Chuck: > > > > > > > > > You will have to include all the guides such as Kim Eckert, > > Erik Bruhnke, > > > Sparky Stensaas, Frank Nicoletti and all the folks at > > nature centers that > > > lead owl prowls plus state employees at state parks that > > lead walks that use > > > tapes to lure in owls for the people to view or listen to. > > > > > > > > > You have to look at the big picture Chuck. This also > > includes citizen > > > science projects like owl censusing that uses play back > > tapes to lure owls > > > to sing or have the owl fly towards the person who is > > censusing owls at > > > night. The amendment doesn't allow them to use inanimate > > objects to lure > > > owls. > > > > > > > > > Just trying my best to give you a broader sense of how this > > poorly written > > > bill effects a lot of people not just photographers. > > > > > > > > > Mike > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Apr 14, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Chuck Cole > > <cnc...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Voting YES to prohibit all forms of baiting seems best for > > the birds and > > > other wildlife. Supporting such improper techniques for > > "guides" seems > > > especially bad, and such "guides" should be branded and banned as > > > undesirables. > > > > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > > >> From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On > > >> Behalf Of Michael Hendrickson > > >> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 12:34 PM > > >> To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU > > >> Subject: [mou-net] Luring Owls might be Illegal in MN > > >> > > >> Hello: > > >> > > >> This post in not intended to create a fire storm about > > >> feeding owls on this > > >> listserv and my only intent is to just focus on section about > > >> luring owls > > >> with inanimate objects. > > >> > > >> This game bill amendment went through the Ways and Means > > >> Committee last > > >> week and is now sitting in limbo before the MN House of > > >> Representatives > > >> acts on it. I am concerned about the part where it says a > > >> person may not > > >> intentionally lure or feed an owl in the wild with any > > >> animate or inanimate > > >> object, food or animal. In my opinion a inanimate object > > >> could be a tape > > >> player, a smart phone with iBird Pro application on it or a > > >> portable CD > > >> player. If HF 2852 gets voted as written, then all paid > > >> birding guides, > > >> state park employees doing public owl tours and hikes, any > > >> nature center > > >> employee or volunteer leaders will no longer be able to use > > >> any inanimate > > >> object to lure an owl in to view the owl species or educate > > >> the public on > > >> owls. That means any night time owl census works in the > > state of MN > > >> during the spring months that is using call back tapes to get > > >> an owl to > > >> respond might be in violation as well IF the owl you are > > taping flies > > >> towards you (intentionally luring). To use an inanimate > > >> object ( any sound > > >> devices ) you might have to get a permit to do so. A petty > > >> misdemeanor has > > >> a fine up to $300.00 and the violation does not go on your > > >> record. Petty > > >> misdemeanors are not crimes and its like getting a parking ticket. > > >> > > >> I know for a fact that IF this amendment is passed it will > > effect all > > >> night time bird walks through out Minnesota (owl prowls) and > > >> paid birding > > >> guiding tours where leaders use sound devices (inanimate > > objects) to > > >> intentionally lure an owl species to their group for > > observation and > > >> photos. On another note IF this amendment gets passed and > > >> made into law, > > >> then you might be in violation if you are in the woods and > > >> you respond to a > > >> Barred Owl during the spring months (who-cooks-for-you) to > > >> intentionally > > >> lure the owl from its known location to your location could > > >> be in violation > > >> of the law since you are a animate object. Very confusing > > amendment, > > >> poorly written, waste of time and energy for our government > > >> officials to > > >> spend on. > > >> > > >> Please write your local state representative and tell him/her > > >> to vote no on > > >> this amendment. > > >> > > >> Minnesota HF 2852 > > >> > > >> Omnibus game and fish bill. > > >> > > >> Sec. 18. *[97A.346] PROHIBITION ON LURING OR FEEDING OWLS; * > > >> > > >> 8.2*PENALTY.* > > >> > > >> 8.3(a) A person may not intentionally lure or feed an owl in > > >> the wild with > > >> any animate > > >> > > >> 8.4or inanimate object, food, or animal. A person in > > violation of this > > >> section is guilty of a > > >> > > >> 8.5petty misdemeanor. > > >> > > >> 8.6(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), a person may use > > lures, bait, or > > >> traps to lure > > >> > > >> 8.7or feed an owl: > > >> > > >> 8.8(1) while conducting scientific research under a federal > > >> or state permit > > >> authorizing > > >> > > >> 8.9the collection of data, samples, or bird banding; or > > >> > > >> 8.10(2) while rescuing an ill or injured owl. > > >> > > >> 8.11(c) For the purposes of this section, "lure" means to > > purposefully > > >> attract a wild owl > > >> > > >> 8.12in an attempt to cause it to move from one location to > > another and > > >> "feed" means to put in > > >> > > >> 8.13place, in the presence of a wild owl, any living or > > >> frozen animal or > > >> facsimile. > > >> > > >> -- > > >> > > >> *Mike Hendrickson* > > >> > > >> *Mike Hendrickson Guiding <http://mikehendricksonguiding.com>* > > >> *Sax-Zim Bog <http://www.sax-zimbog.com>* > > >> > > >> ---- > > >> Join or Leave mou-net: > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > >> Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Mike Hendrickson > > > > > > Mike Hendrickson <http://mikehendricksonguiding.com> Guiding > > > > > > Sax-Zim <http://www.sax-zimbog.com> Bog > > > > > > > > > > > > ---- > > > Join or Leave mou-net: > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > -- Happy Birding! --Chris W, Madison, WI Tour Leader Swallowtail Birding Tours https://www.facebook.com/Swallowtailbirdingtours?ref=hl http://swallowtailedkite.blogspot.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/swallowtailphoto Interpretive Naturalist Mississippi Explorer Cruises http://mississippiexplorer.com/ ch...@mississippiexplorer.com ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
