Response I got from NYSDEC echos that given to another who's posted here. It was basically advise to contact the appropriate ECO, but it included a discouraging addition; "Yes harassing wildlife is a violation of the ECL. Proving it and prosecuting it is another issue."
So, we've heard anecdotes, opinions, bile, ridicule and humor, but little has been gained beyond exposing the old-school secret-society element. That has been useful to me personally. it has been my wont to accurately show locations with my posts and even to supplement the posts of others; I will discontinue that practice lest I incur reprisal for offending them. One aspect of the original problem has gone untouched, curiously enough, and goes to the distinction between "them" and "us". "We" are amateurs, hobbyists; even those of us with credentials are to be so considered because we don't get paid for it. When we get a particularly good sighting or photograph, we take it home and cherish it. "They" copyright and post their photos, offering them for sale. "We" try for the best view or shot we can get, the more to cherish; "they" try for the better shot to increase its value. "They" are at work; "we" are at play. Things like codes of ethics, consideration, good manners; these are for the likes of "us", and not for professionals at work. Capitalism is the American way, and I'm all for it. So let's consider a capitalistic approach to the problem. Let's boycott, and advocate boycotting to others, the sale of those photos. Let's point out to the editors of publications we see with photos that cause us concern exactly what our concerns are and that our concerns might lead us to ceasing to subscribe. Let word of this spread amongst "them"; we saw in an anecdote posted earlier that a photographer doing wrong responded immediately and correctly - to word from another photographer. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
