Hunters - You are not Alone!

Juneau has 100 miles of roads and 250 miles of trails. The main thoroughfare runs bottom to top, east to west for 40 miles or so, and depending on where you may be is known as Egan Drive or Glacier Highway. Locals simply know it as "The Road." If you live north of Auke Bay you live "out the Road."
Along the Road at Mile 3, half a mile from our home is the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge. With Juneau's 15 foot plus tidal changes the Wetlands is (are?) well-named. Sometimes it's under water; sometime quite dry, as it was when Deb and I decided to check it out this past weekend. I made a point to pick up one of the informational brochures.

The brochure informs its reader that the "Mendenhall Wetlands are a mecca for waterfowl hunters, wildlife viewers and outdoor enthusiasts alike." In other words, people can be enthusiastically outside, watch birds, and then see those same birds fall from the sky like rocks.

This handy publication also reminds hunters that they are not alone. The refuge is "surrounded by residences, businesses and the Juneau Airport." Shooters are encouraged not to shoot toward any of these already inhabited structures. Sounds like a good safety tip.

This is where I know I live in a strange new land. All hunters are told they must obtain a waterfowl hunting permit. Check. "Hunters younger than 15 years of age must first complete a certified hunter safety course...unless they are accompanied by an adult." So if the kid completes the safety course he/she and his/her buddies can don the camo and the face paint, grab the shotgun and shells and (I assume) trusty bird dog, and get to stalking and killing their own game - while being mindful of nearby outdoor enthusiasts, bird watchers, residences, businesses and an international airport with associated flight path. My parents wouldn't have trusted me with a slingshot at age 18, and here we potentially have 13 year old's (or younger) legally empowered to hunt for subsistence or sport.

This is awesome!