The hunting is best in the fog. No one can see, and no one can hear. Just the sound of the release
followed by that fantastic thwacking sound that only an arrow can make when it hits home. If you don't want to kill them just uscew a practice tip, put on a bis washer, and screw the tip back on. When they get hit the arrow only goes a little ways. It has to hurt like **LL! Going for the head shot can be good practice.

In Newfoundland, there are certain seasons and areas open for seal hunting. They are not an endangered species there...in fact, they have an overpopulation problem. Flippers are a mainstay on many restaurant menus over there, and they are sold at stands on the side of the road($2.00 each when I was there 5 years ago!)

What we have is a man-made problem, and it seems that the man-made problems are the most difficult to solve. The thing that makes the most sense to me is to have some form of selective harvest for seals & sea lions...but only in areas where they endanger our fish populations. If there is no longer a "natural" predator for these creatures, that is also man's fault. They should not be at the top of the food chain. Just a thought.

prior post says -- "I wish we could all get together and get a hunting season on these "worthless animals"

FINALLY, a bulletin board where someone has ALL the answers. In fact they know better than God the creator what creatures should be and should not be here, and their respective value to the earth.

And to think that we get all this knowledge for FREE.

I doubt very much that God would condone building a massive structure that wipes out entire species of His/Her creations. However, that is what happened.

Finding the balance is the ultimate answer, and I don't think anyone knows how to do that just yet.

As for getting this knowledge for free; well, you get what you pay for!

BTW...these same people are the ones who claim that "God gave them right to fish". Apparently he also gave them the right to kill sea-lions and to play god themselves...I feel much better about the world knowing there are so many Gods walking around...Wait a minute...that's blasphemy!!

Depends on your religion, H20 - Some of us worship many gods.

I seriously doubt any of them are posting here, however.

To each their own. If you would like to see what overpopulation of seals look like take a look at Tillamook Bay. How many seals will you see in this protected environment. 2,000 - 3000 maybe, I don't have the latest numbers but they are a lot. Killer whales seldom run the gauntlet and stir this group. Watch them as they catch a fish and bit the belly out letting the rest fall to the bottom for crab feed. Great for the crabs, right!!. Where did all of the flounder go? I have a good idea. It appears to be all right only because there is nothing that we can leagally about it. It dosen't make it right. Granted what man has done to the whole picture has caused quite a mess. Yet sitting back and doing nothing to correct a problem seems to be the way of most people. I personally do not plan on developing a taste for seals in the near future, but at the same time don't want to see mass destruction of seals. Some of them are pretty cute. People just need to take care of the problem quietly without making new issues for someone to complain about.

Seals above tide water in the rivers is another issue, these guys need to go away for good.

Ahhhh, and there's the real problem. Too many sea lions.

How many billion people are there on the earth? How many species have we rendered extinct? And why? Because we can? Because we didn't think? Because we had an economic interest that carried more weight?

Man, I have never understood that short-sighted philosophy, and I never will. I'm no tree hugger, but I sure can't justify killing thousands of creatures who's increased numbers are due to my own species activities. Not without considering resolving the root cause, at least. We truly are pitiful creatures, when you analyze our habits with respect to other animals. We truly are the a-holes of the planet.

Balance doesn't come from capital countermeasures implemented against life that WE'VE assisted to thrive, it comes from undoing what we did to promote it in the first place. If nothing else, a new balance comes from tolerating the less-than-critical crap we've created for ourselves, which is the bag I throw this into.

I figure the marine mammals that cruise too high into my home stream are just gonna get nasty, deadly diseases from the bovine fecal matter they ingest. Fair's fair.

Ha! Excellent.

Of course Skywalker, the REAL answer is to tear down the dams, etc. (Yeah, and Tony Dunnington can't WAIT to fish Goldsboro Creek in a few years...then write about it!)

But that isn't going to happen in my lifetime, and probably not in my kid's time either.

Nets and seals...what the #@$% do we do?

funny listening to the tree huggers say save the sea lions, there gods creatures, I bet if one was pissed off at ya you wouldn't think that, but you got to be on the water for that to happen tree hugger so you have nothin to worry about then.

Ya, that'll teach those seals. Im sure the seal will be like 'Dam I just got an arrow stuck in my ass, I knew i shoulnt have stole that dudes fish'

Make sure you attach a note to your arrow so the seals get the point as to why your shooting it.

Rockfish dazzling us with his GED again!!!

That is the second post I have seen you put up ( the other on another unnamed board) where the sum of all your intelligence is expressed in name calling?! Contribution duly noted!

Hilo, nice slam on Ifish, you post on this thread, then you run over there and say how bad the people on this BB are. What gives? .....jerk

Rapid Robert,

Please feel free to quote me from any of my posts on ifish and demonstrate where I dig on this bulletin board? That is simply not the case! I posted on Ifish a similar thread on this as I wanted to see what people over there felt on the topic. I did mention that I was amazed at the comments to kill em all! If this is the slam you are referring to then I cannot help to question your ideas of slamming?!

By the way "jerk" was a nice touch! Maybe next time you can just say you think what I did was wrong but hey that would be too simple!

If I were ashamed of what I post on either board I would attempt to hide behind different names instead I choose the same name so people that are on both boards can tell who I am.

It's unfortunate that posts come up chronologically (that's means by when they're posted, RF), so I can't tell who's replying to me or anyone else. I'll speak, though, since without me claiming not to be a tree hugger you probably wouldn't have used the term.

I'll bet you your annual salary that you can't find any post on this board where I've given God credit for anything.

That being said, I don't have to credit God to have respect for other life forms.....even you, to some degree. Like, I wouldn't shoot you or anything. :p

Some day you'll be telling your grandkids (or someone else's) about the time you saw this animal, or that, and how the world was a little different when you were a kid. Will you tell them you were one of the people that applauded it?

I don't get all activist about this stuff, or anything, I just can't believe some of the "it's my world and I'll do anything to it I want" cr@p that's come out of this thread. No friggin' respect for one's own backyard. Ridiculous.

Hey Robert -

Since when does saying that this board is more opinionated equate to a slam?? I read his post and he didn't even refer to it by name, only if you happen to be reading both threads would you know for sure...

Now because of your demonstrated lack of reading comprehension skills you have painted a false picture of Hilo's post. Congratulations on your ability to distort reality WITHOUT the use of mind altering drugs...Read Hilo's post on Ifish and tell me who's the jerk now....

Hope you don't mind Hilo, I took the liberty of copying and pasting your post...

"I have been a member of several fishing forums for only a short time. In that short time I have been astonished at people's opinions on what should be done about problems with NW fisheries. The most astonishing is the approach people believe should be taken towards Seals and Sea Lions. In a nutshell it has been Kill em all!

I understand that these creatures do the NW fisheries no favors in terms of conservation but does that give humans the right to destroy them? I have heard (on other forums) people brag about how they have killed them knowing that they are protected under federal law. Am I so far out of touch with this issue or is this absurd to others as well?"

I don't mind. Truth be known I would hate to have a label placed on me on this board as I have only been a member a short time! Offending anyone on here is my last intention. I have only joined the forums as a place for learning both about fishing and issues that surround fishing.

Most forums that I have been a part of do not take kindly to members calling other members names. I am not used to a forum that allows such behavior but judging from the ones making the comments I should not take them to heart.

I appreciate the fact that there are so many varying opinions on this board and that people are willing to argue them passionately. It does not lead me to conclude that there are bad people here because they have differing views than my own. Rather it leads me to think that people give important issues as our NW fisheries serious thought, and without that the fisheries are doomed.

I don't think everyone needs to respect what I say or believe but at least respect me (and others) enough not to resort to name calling. I can get enough of that hanging out with me nephew and his friends!

Where'd Robert go?? Looks like he made a Rapid departure...

are sea lions even native to here? some old timer in manchester told me they came from california. just the harber seals are native. not to sure thou that is what he just told me. Ben