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Opinion page 3 ~ POLEMIC Vo/. 3 Issue 4 November 17, 1993 The high cost of deer hunting BY MELODY SHARP STAFF WRITllR The time is here again for all those macho men hunters to take 10 the woods for the holiday of •Deer Season." Exactly how many does that mean? According foThe National RifleAssocation, I million in Michigan. Now if that isn't a scary thought. think about this. How much possible hunting land can be available in our state? The es1imated total land mass is 57 .000 square miles, mi- nus lakes and rivers. Then an allotment has to be made for city limits. (WeaHknowifsillegalto ~ischarge a firearm in the city Umits no mauer how big the rack might be.) So this may leave 50 ttl a 100 hunters to a square mile. Next, consider what kind of ti.rearm these mighty hunters will be toting. The average rifle is a .30-.30 with a travel range of a few hundred yards, or the power to kill an elephant at50 paces. I So one does not dare blow (mes nose with a white hankie or ~ in the vacinity hanging up ~lothes. Asamotheroftwoboys, tdon'teven let them go out of the Rouse for 15 days. Considering ~e state that some of these hunt- trs will be in on opening morning, , wouldn't let any pets out either Let's consider the hunter's state of affairs. First, there is the J?roverbial hunting camp. This i;amp is stocked with enough food 31\d ammunilion 10 hold off a ~mall army for months. Alcohol is purchased by the gallons, along with mixers to dilute ii, and food is oftop qual- ity, consisting of steaks 10 standing rib roast. Men who could mess up a bologna sand- wich, magically turn into gourmet cooks. Necessities consist of elec- tricity, running water, televisions and sometimes a cook. The night before the big hunt, the camps are lively with anticipation of getting that first buck. The cards come out, wa- gers are placed and drinks are poured. By the end of the night, drinks are usually poured straight, money is lost and boasts are becoming more exuberant. About 3 a.m. hunters stan to dress in their neon orange, load rifles and stagger to the deer blind. The blinds are complete with heaters, chairs, gun props and an extra fifth to keep hunters warm. Outside the blind sits a ton of feed put there to lure the deer into range. The pile is usually placed on a well traveled trail so the deer either trip over it or goes out of its way to avoid it because of the human scent left behind. The time comes; that awaited moment happens; out steps a fourteen point buck weigh- ing in at 160 lbs. What happens next is pretty amazing. Thehunter inside the blind is either sleeping off a hang over or has been at- tacked by the seasonal disease called buck fever. His hands have become sweaty and shaky, on his fore- head are beads of sweat, he == Editor 10 t h doesn't quite remember what to do with his rifle, and bang! He has either shot himself in the foot or shot at the deer missing by a mile, and all that is to be seen of the deer is the white tail waving in the haze. The hunter now has to con- struct a story to tell back at camp about the one that got away be- cause everyone within a country mile has heard the shot What does this 15daytrip in the woods cost the average hunter? Here is an estimated 10- tal: deer license, $12.85; rifle and ammo, $300; food, $200; alcohol and mixers, $150; hunt- ing clothes, $150; deer feed, $100 for 2 tons; deer skinning knife, $50; misc. $50. So we have two weeks vacation spent away from the wife and children F t for ~n~v::;eisc:; r'!!!~~ ron and average deer weighing 150 pounds, when proct!Ssed minus BY SARAH EDWARDS bones, is about 60 pounds of STAFP WRITER edible meat. That means this ---- venison cost around $16 per pound. That sounds like a rea- Finding order in mass con- sonable investment to me. Not! fusion has always seemed to be What does the wife get out an impossible feat, but before of this? She gets to wash the opening night I had to find a dirty clothes and pack up the grip and hold on to it. supplies and store them for next Presented with the oppor- year. tunity to be in charge of seven I think the women should children, numerous adults and get equal treatment. How about singing nuns, all I had to do was an equal amount of money and the keep stairs cleared, props handy, same time away from husband and a stage changed quickly and kids 10 do what she pleases Most importantly, all this had to just as long as she brings be done with a sub-zero noise home 60 pounds of meal for the level freezer I had become stage man- ager for •The Sound of Music. • For this musical to happen it re- quired endless hours, extreme patience. respect for the stage directors, and a desire to make the audience leave with a posi- uveresponse. center behind stage Never doing any work with a theater, I was left confused with the entire concept. At the end of one night I was begin- ning to feel overwhelmed. After many hours of one-on-one with the stage designer, directors, and the few people I had to help me out, I began to wonder the worst. After all, what's the worst that can happen? The set could fall, curtains could be wrong, actors could get tempermental to- wards you, an audience could possibly hate the musical After realizing the worst I decided I was going to do my best and accept nothing less. I soon began to wonder why I had decided to do this. I have written theater reviews for The Polemic since January of this year and was becoming bored with the format. On a push and prod from various friends I decided to take this opportunity and see what I could do with it. I soon found the backstage to be very satisfy- ing. I realized that you don't have to be center stage to feel important because you are told hy the cast and crew how im- portant you are. The simple fact is not many people realize that there are no little jobs in theater. Everyone works iogether toward one goal, and you can make friends of all ages and walks of life. And if you 're a reader who is complaining about nothing to do, then you haven't looked far enough. Alpena Civic Theater is always seeking adults to help gather unusual props, hang light units and man the box office to name a few. There are many tasks that may only take a couple hours. The community is there,, are you? Students speak : In light of the fact that attendance at college sponsored activities has been so low, what could the college do to encourage you to attend? Ron Thompson - More advertising and they need to set up some type of program to help parents who need help with haby-sitting. Also, have dances to make it fun for everyone. Traci St. Charles - I feel they should have more advertis- ing such as radio and television. Joe Bason - More adver- Responses amuse staffer Letter to the Editor of The Polemic, I was rather amused when f read the student responses to the question, "What aclivities would you like to see on cam- pus?" Obviously, the students must be new to the campus be- ·cause four of the five •requests" have already been acknowl- edged. Scott: In an attempt to un- derstand black culture, Student Senate hosted an event this fall at Thunder Bay Theatre in which an Afro-American shared the life story of Malcolm X Only one Afro-American person attended the show and she was not an ACCstudent. Charlie: If you want a fun activity for both students and their parents, Student Senate sponsors two events - a Hal- loween party and a Family Day. If you missed the Halloween party, mark your calendar for Family Day on Nov. 13. Robin: Every spring Stu- dent Senate sponsors a "Spring Fling" just before final exams. It is a big outdoor picnic and they usually play volleyball. John: Check the daily news flyer on campus, "The Splinter." Coed intramural vol- leyball rosters are due Nov.10. Connie: A foreign language club sounds great, but first we need some fore ign language classes here at ACC. Help cam- paign for students who want the classes. Student Senate is always open for suggestions, but how about touching on some new ter• ritory that hasn't been discovered yet? Karen Eller. ACC Administrative Technician