[NativeFlorida]

Originally Posted by Lilybeans

You won't fit in in the Northeast Kingdom. You may be happier in Burlington.

It is a big mistake to move to a place to get away from where you live, and then immediately try to change it into the place you came from. That will not win you any friends.

Sorry, but Vermont has a long and proud history of supporting gun owners. The statutes allow hunters to go on private property. It's part of the history and tradition of Vermont.

WTH are you talking about? Have you read any of my posts? I am a hunter. My only question is why people in Vermont do not use leased, state, or federal land to hunt like almost every other state in the United States? Trust me ... Burlington or Brattleboro are the last two places I need to live. Wow!

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by NativeFlorida

I still don't get it. Do you not have hunting leases up there. It's quite simple and economical for the land owner. Not to mention you know who is hunting on your land at all times, which makes it much safer. I told my brother and a freind of mine about this thread and they were as puzzled as I am.

That's just not the Vermont way of doing things. No interest here in expensive "hunting leases" like in Texas and other Southern states. That's (dare I say it) too European...where hunting was confined to the rich and the landowners. It's part of our history that land has always been pretty open to hunting. If someone is disrespectful of a landowner or dangerous no one will bat an eye if they're thrown off, but posting the land keeping everyone off can create enemies, a very bad thing in a small community...be careful doing that in the NEK...

Until fairly recent times there was never public land to hunt and even today while it seems like there's a lot, it's not and can become quickly overhunted if the rest of the land (private land) isn't open to hunting.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by NativeFlorida

WTH are you talking about? Have you read any of my posts? I am a hunter. My only question is why people in Vermont do not use leased, state, or federal land to hunt like almost every other state in the United States? Trust me ... Burlington or Brattleboro are the last two places I need to live. Wow!

Different culture here you must understand, and Vermonters have never been a wealthy bunch to get into hunting leases or such.

[NativeFlorida]

Originally Posted by Ken E

That explains all the stock fence gates everyone has at the end of their driveway down here. A lot of yards are fenced in with no animals whatsoever. Now i get it.

Oh, I see. So, my land's your land. Kinda like a hippy utopia. Nevermind hunting my land, just bring your friends and skinny dip in my pond. Heck I don't care.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by NativeFlorida

Oh, I see. So, my land's your land. Kinda like a hippy utopia. Nevermind hunting my land, just bring your friends and skinny dip in my pond. Heck I don't care.

This goes back to the earliest days of this state, when it was a frontier in fact. Same in the rest of NE. It's still going strong (albeit under attack) in Northern New England. There was always an emphasis on the common good over individuals, out of necessity of those times. Sounds almost socialist but it isn't. Hunting was once what could get a person through the frequent famines in the early years. Such as the year without a summer in 1816. Even today quite a few rely on hunting for meat, more in the NEK than elsewhere though. Hunting was always much more free in New England than in the South where the aristocracy dominated things for a long time and attempted to prevent poorer people from hunting. That's the origins of the hunting leases, etc. An attempt to confine hunting to the wealthy landowners.

Oddly enough you've almost always needed permission from a landowner here to set traps on their land, because of the possibility of interfering with livestock. But hunting, assuming the hunter isn't causing any problems, was always legal unless posted.

[Lilybeans]

Skinny dipping in the pond is trespassing. Hunting isn't.

[NativeFlorida]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Different culture here you must understand, and Vermonters have never been a wealthy bunch to get into hunting leases or such.

Thank you for the respectful responses arctichomesteader. I still do not understand the benefits of hunting in this manner, but maybe that is the way the state has structured it. To each his own.

[arctichomesteader]

Skinny dipping in a river or stream isn't trespassing though, unless they cross your property to access it.

The laws can create rather "interesting" things sometimes...

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by NativeFlorida

Thank you for the respectful responses arctichomesteader. I still do not understand the benefits of hunting in this manner, but maybe that is the way the state has structured it. To each his own.

The benefits of this is that it's simple for almost anyone to be able to hunt. That's the reason for it.

[NativeFlorida]

[quote=arctichomesteader;9882942]Skinny dipping in a river or stream isn't trespassing though, unless they cross your property to access it.

So let me get this straight. For all weeks, but weeks designated "hunting season", it is against the law to step foot on private property? But, during hunting season, you may go on private land, gun in hand or not?