Dear editor,
It’s B.A.D. Season Again!
B.A.D. or Blast a Duck season is a more accurate term than “duck hunting” and is upon us once again. Waking up to shotgun blasts at 7:30 in the morning (when it is still dark outside) is extremely disturbing, especially to my dog. He will not leave the house until the barrage stops. After a recent barrage, I found what was left of a duck near death in between two logs and hoped I had helped by finding him a more comfortable place to die. I’m sure there are many more that are left to suffer. What I find most disturbing is why a “man” would find it enjoyable to blast small birds apart? Having lived in the Baynes Sound area for over 40 years, I have seen the slow, steady decline of resident and transient waterfowl and am concerned about their survival. They have been increasingly stressed by loss of foraging areas now that a huge percentage of clam beaches are being netted over by the shellfish industry. The loss of foraging grounds will increase exponentially when geoduck cultivation turns all our sandy beaches into industrial sites. To then attack these ducks in the few areas they have left to forage is a recipe for disaster. We are all responsible for the well-being of our world, even those who choose to “hunt”. When the waterfowl are all gone, what will they shoot then?
Edi Johnston
Denman Island