Anderson nationally recognized for hunter safety work

There is no greater tribute than recognition by your peers. I’m sure Gary Anderson, safety officer for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will agree with that, and for good reason. Recently, Anderson was elected to the international Hunter Education Hall of Fame located in Salt Lake City. The award was presented at the annual Hunter Education Association conference held in Calgary, Ontario.

During Anderson’s tenure, hunting accidents have declined dramatically in Maine; to the point, in fact, that statistics show hunting to be the safest of Maine’s major outdoors recreations. In addition to his regular dMaine’s major outdoors recreations. In addition to his regular duties, Anderson promotes hunting safety by scheduling speaking engagements statewide. He became the DIFW safety officer in 1973 and also served as the coordinator of hunter-education programs. Needless to say, his experience and expertise have been invaluable to sportsmen opposing anti-hunting initiatives.

While Anderson’s citation addressed specific duties in his field, it emphasized his work in founding Maine Outdoor Recreation for Everybody, a legislatively authorized committee promoting the participation of disabled persons in outdoors recreations. In accordance with that, the citation referred to Anderson’s involvement with Disabled Outdoor Experiences, a series of competitive field events held annually in Jackman.

Throughout the 1980s, Anderson was search and rescue coordinator for the DIFW. During that time, the state recorded a 49 percent decline – from an average 400 annually to the current 220 – in searches for lost persons. In 1991, Anderson was elected to the board of directors of the National Association for Search and Rescue.

In reference to his success, the safety officer is quick to credit volunteers for their help in conducting awareness programs, hunter education and other outdoors-safety classes including training and information for residents of rest homes and convalescent centers.

During times when token awards are handed out like peanuts on airplanes, here you have one that is definitely well-deserved.

If you didn’t read Sen. Ida Luther’s (D-Mexico) letter in the “Our Reader’s Write” section of yesterday’s BDN, I would suggest you backtrack and do so. The senator, who is chairwoman of the legislative Fish and Wildlife Committee, is a shining example of the representation sportsmen need in Augusta’s political woods. Her respect and regard for Maine’s traditional outdoors recreations, particularly hunting, is refreshing.

Obviously, Sen. Luther saw through an anti-hunting organization’s attempts to mislead Maine people into believing it was focused only on hunting safety. Instead, she regarded the organization’s legislative proposal as blatantly anti-hunting and loaded with intention to eliminate the sport in many parts of Maine, and she was right.

I first was impressed by Sen. Luther’s gracious and professional manner during the postponed LD 612 hearing in Augusta last March. It wasn’t easy announcing to 300 or so assembled sportsmen that a quorum couldn’t be made because the House was in session regarding the future of Rep. John Martin. But after reading her letter supporting the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine’s drive to defeat the anti-hunters’ most recent maneuver, circulating a petition to bring their proposal to referendum, I’m impressed even more.

As an aside, in a recent telephone conversation with my friend Jim Rikhoff, a former public relations director for the Olin-Winchester Co. and now president of the National Sporting Fraternity, I mentioned anti-hunting sentiment in Maine. I could see Jim shaking his head as he replied: “Anti-hunting in the state of Maine – God help us, what next?”

No doubt you’ve heard that since the harvest of harp seals was discontinued, the expected increase in the mammals resulted in negative impacts to Atlantic cod and Atlantic salmon populations. Since 1941, however, researchers have examined the stomach contents of no fewer than 9,243 harp seals and recorded their findings in scientific reports.

Recently, scientists Susan D. Wallace and David M. Lavigne studied the information. Their report to the International Marine Mammal Association Inc., stated: “Despite the continued controversy regarding the relative importance of Atlantic cod (including northern cod stock) to the diet of the Northwest Atlantic harp seal population, all the available data indicates that Atlantic cod is rarely eaten by harp seals.”

Salmon? Researchers found evidence of more than 100 species of fish and invertebrates in the seal stomachs – but not one was salmo salar.

Somehow, I can’t quite swallow that.