I hear you about not ranting. I probably should not have aired my views. This is a pheasant hunting site after all.
I saw all the cars clustered at O'Neill Forebay on Saturday evening on my way home from some refuge hunting (I actually shot a wild rooster at a refuge!). I am an elitist snob and really only like to chase after wild birds, so you are unlikely to see me with the "clean up crew" after the release of restaurant birds.
Given that I am focused on wild birds, I really would like to see better soil and vegetation at the refuges and wildlife areas. And by better, I mean in a way that benefits the wildlife year round. I don't care how they get it done, I am just weary of all the conversations that touch upon money, political turf and egos.
In the past I used to commit lots of my time and funding to organizations in California and the Monterey Bay that were, in my opinion, constructive. I have been caught up in jurisdictional battles over many issues, some professional, some personal, but I always emerged with my attitude toward our state and local systems intact. I'll never forget my two consecutive terms on a county grand jury - it was a turning point for me as an adult and really jaundiced my outlook. That in turn changed my participation, mainly because I was having a hardcore crisis of faith in my systems. In retrospect, I wish I could have kept up with my constructive attitude.
So it goes. In the meantime, I'll just wade through star thistle, wipe the deet-laced sweat from eyes as I swat mosquitoes, and fervently hope that the bird my dog is trailing is the right color to shoot. Perhaps there will be some form of crappy attitude redemption for me in the act of trying to find wild pheasants in California.
