Gauldin, Keith

<Keith.Gauldin@dcnr.alabama.gov>

Jan 4 at 8:33 AM

To

Eddie Maxwell

Mr. Maxwell,

I told you Id reply, and I will. The last time I replied to a

question from you regarding WMA activities, I received no
response so I dont really see how integrity can be questioned
on my part. I have a lot on my plate and honestly, I saved this
response as I wanted to review it once again prior to sending
and other issues stacked up it slipped my mind. I apologize
for that.

Jeff Makemson forwarded his response to your email that you

sent him regarding the Mulberry Fork Listening Session
regarding the same question. I dont recall in my career where
we have conducted such meetings that serve as a platform for
both the biologists to explain the wildlife and habitat
management activities and programs on the WMA and an
opportunity for the hunters to ask questions and propose
requests as well and my response would reiterate what Jeff
stated in his email to you. From what Jeff said, the meeting
went well and was well received by most participants. We
have many WMAs with varying season structures across the
State to provide multiple formats that we feel, satisfies the
requests from our constituents. In addition, there are also,
smaller Forever Wild Tracts and portions of National Forests
that are open for hunting as well, that are hunted in the open
permit format, following the state season, that you seem to
prefer. I encourage you to investigate them more thoroughly.

Its good to hear that you have hunted some of the WMAs
and corporate lands, as I have done the same growing up. I
hunted the USX, TCI, IP, GP and other large corporate lands
back in the 80s when one could pick up a free permit to hunt
large tracts of land throughout the State. I also hunted the
WMA system, as well, primarily on Hollins, Oakmulgee and
Barbour WMAs, so Im very familiar with hunting public
land, as thats where I began hunting deer and continue to do
so, and it remains quite a bargain at the price of $17.45.
While I continue to hear the WMAs be labeled as a dangerous
area to hunt, I have never had any personal instances where I
was concerned for my safety and from what I recall from our
records, the vast majority of hunting related accidents that are
reported occur on private lands. So Im not in this position
dictating season structures and regulations lackadaisically of
something I am not intimately familiar, but rather trying to
provide quality hunting opportunities to our constituents.
Though some might not agree with what we are doing, that is
our mission and responsibility. Trying to provide quality
hunting experiences through a reduction in pressure while
satisfying the hunting opportunity desires of a wide collection
of hunters is indeed a challenging chore and we certainly
realize we will not please everyone with our decisions. When
I became chief, we actually expanded our gun deer days on
many of the WMAs as I thought they were too limited and
several went too far and some of the hunter base on several
areas complained and desired a reduction as they felt it was
too much pressure and now it seems a few may have went too
far in reverse this past season. Ill look at Mulberry Fork
WMA gun deer days and review them with my staff and see if
they feel additional days can be added to the gun deer days
without a detriment to the quality of hunting.

Mr. Maxwell, I got into this field due to my interest in

Alabamas hunting heritage and to make a difference and
improve the management of our natural resources in my home
state and also to improve hunting opportunities for those that
partake on both private and public lands. While you disagree
with the path were taking, I also would like to ensure those
youngsters growing up as I did will have the same or better
opportunities and abilities to enjoy what I have as a young
hunter of the state of Alabama. While I certainly dont mind
responding to your emails, I hope youre not arguing for the
sake of arguing, as your stances regarding the use of primitive
weapons seem to conflict themselves, as you apparently didnt
have an issue with the use of spears in you correspondence to
the Director. This is the paragraph that you referred to
bowhunting as an inefficient method of killing deer in your
email to Jeff, yet the email you sent our Director back in May,
you advocate the inclusion of the use of Spears in 220-2-.02.
Ive listed them for your reference below.

*********************************

I tried archery hunting a few decades ago and quit due to my

own hunting ethics. I have always respected the deer I hunt
and Ive never taken great pleasure in the killing part of
hunting. Ive never mounted a deers head and hung it on my
wall to brag about. I sight my 30-.06 in at 50 yards so that I
can make a clean kill with as little suffering and tracking as
possible. Shooting or wounding deer with a bow for them to
run off and die a slow death and possibly not be recovered at
all does not fit my hunting ethics. With the increased number
of deer that are wounded or killed and not included in the
daily and seasonal bag limits, I cannot understand how the
Department justifies promoting archery only and severely
restricting the most efficient methods of killing deer to just a
few days on either public or private lands. In college biology,
and applying common sense, I learned that the means of
killing has nothing to do with the overall conservation of the
resource. A dead deer is a dead deer regardless of the means
used to kill it.

*********************************

Director Sykes,

Please consider the following suggestions for amendment to

rule 220-2-.02 Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment
For Hunting .

Paragraph (1) (d) contains a misspelled word (sighed) that

should be corrected to read (sighted).

Paragraph (2) as it relates to spears contains a reference to rule

220-2-.03. Your currently proposed amended language would
remove spears from that rule. In order to clear up confusion, I
propose that language should be added to rule 220-2-.02
making it clear that spears are considered legal equipment for
hunting during archery deer season.

Proposed changes:

220-2-.02 Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For

Hunting.

(1)

(d) Legally blind hunters may use laser sighting devices to

take game, subject to all other regulations if the following
conditions are met:

The person is accompanied by a sighted person who is a

member of the immediate family or at least 16 years of age;

The sighted person possesses proof of a current hunting

license, or legal exemption (under no circumstances shall the
sighted person be a holder of a supervision required license)

(2) DEER: Rifles using centerfire, mushrooming ammunition.

Air powered guns, .30 caliber or larger. Shotguns, 10 gauge or
smaller using buckshot, slugs, or single round ball. Muzzle-
loaders and Black Powder Handguns--.40 caliber or larger.
Long bows, compound bows, or crossbows in conformance
with 220-2-.03. Handguns or pistols using centerfire,
mushrooming ammunition. Hand thrown spear with sharpened
blade in conformance with 220-2-.03 during and in areas open
to archery deer season.

Eddie Maxwell

************************************

Mr. Maxwell, I email, talk on the phone and in the field with
our constituents on a daily basis regarding questions relating
to our Divisions programs and policies among the other
responsibilities of my position. I find that part to be the most
valuable, in providing accurate information regarding our
programs and, more importantly, to be reachable to the
public. However, I honestly feel that whatever information I
provide you will not be an acceptable answer to any questions
you propose, in reference to past emails and information that
youve posted, nonetheless, I will reply. I sincerely hate to
hear what has happened to your pension and insurance, thats
a terrible act to of occurred and for you have to deal with the
aftermath, especially after spending the required time in that
field it takes to retire, but those circumstances that caused that
are not related to anything DCNR is responsible. As we move
forward as the agency deemed responsible for managing
Alabamas natural resources, we will implement programs
that are new to our State in an effort to improve our abilities to
better manage our hunting programs and wildlife populations.
Surely there will be some that disagree with our direction but
we will continue to move forward, as that is our mission we
are deemed responsible.

Kind Regards,

Keith

W. Keith Gauldin
Chief of Wildlife
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Wildlife Section
64 North Union Street, Suite 584
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: 334.242.3469
FAX: 334.242.3032
keith.gauldin@dcnr.alabama.gov
www.outdooralabama.com