Bear Hunting within city limits?

Governor Bredesen:

 

Our local paper, The Mountain Press has an article this morning concerning "Record Bear Hunt Expected." TWRA expects 400 bears "to be taken" this year. That sounds better than killed, injured, and or maimed, doesn't it?

 

The purpose of this letter is to encourage you to do something, anything, to prohibit hunting within the city limits of Gatlinburg or any city. When hunting season comes there is a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of hunting within the city limits and we are told State law permits it. That being the case I write this note to you.

 

My wife and I moved to Gatlinburg in 1998 when I retired. It has always intrigued me that hunting is permitted by state law within the city limits of Gatlinburg. Is Tennessee still living in the 19th century or what?

 

My wife and I moved from Ohio where we lived most of our lives. Over the years it was obvious dangerous situations were permitted to exist. In a neighboring county there was a railway crossing without signals. Every year or two there was an accident and local citizens were killed. Local residents asked state officials, your Ohio counterpart, to have warning signals installed with no affect. But then one day a truck carrying state employees was struck by a train and everyone in the truck was killed. Within a few months crossing signals were installed. In a second neighboring county there were the usual drunk driving accidents with no government response. Then one day the daughter of a local congressman was killed by a drunk driver. That county then passed the strictest DUI laws in the state. To make a long story short it appeared a state employee or family member had to be sacrificed before the state would react.

 

I am wondering if that is the way things are done in Tennessee as well. To allow hunting inside of a city especially one as densely populated as Gatlinburg is a disaster waiting to happen. I realize the killing or wounding of a local resident will not count so when a tourist is killed or better yet seriously wounded and the national media takes hold of the story what will you and your administration say? You did not know? Can you imagine if a tourist is shot and has to be put on life support and the family and a local hospital get into an argument concerning removing the life support, the damage to Gatlinburg's reputation as well as the state?

 

I realize the most important job an elected official has is to ensure their re-election thus requiring them to avoid sensitive issues such as hunting within city limits and their second most important job is to not upset those who give them money, such as hunters but someone has to demonstrate some common sense and concern for public safety.

 

Last Monday in Chalet Village, in Gatlinburg, there was a bear killed on a lady's property under her deck, right in front of her.  How do you think bear hunting in Nashville would be accepted? We know that will not happen because the people who make the laws would not allow it, they live there.

 

Bear hunting with dogs, high-tech weapons and equipment, cell phones and radio-collars on the dogs are a major PR disaster in the making.  When we see the mistakes police trained in the use of their weapons, make how can we expect more competence from the good ol' boy who just likes to kill various animals. I hope you and your administration will do the right thing.

 

John Jenkins

425 Patterson Lane

Gatlinburg, TN 37738

865-430-4427

 

 

Regards,
John Jenkins

865-803-8179 cell

Gatlinburg, TN
Email: jrjenki@yahoo.com 

Website: http://www.greenbriersolutions.com 
Blog: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/

Idioms are for the birds..