Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Tennesseans Can Add Right to Hunt & Fish to Constitution

I've tried as best I can to keep my politics and my favorite avocations - hunting and fishing - separate. This blog isn't meant to be a soap box. But it's time I write about a rare opportunity Tennesseans will have this election day, November 2, 2010.

This is the first in a series of posts about the proposed amendment to Tennessee's Constitution that is intended to secure in perpetuity our ability to hunt and fish in our state. If passed, here's what our Constitution will say:
The citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law. The recognition of this right does not abrogate any private or public property rights, nor does it limit the state s power to regulate commercial activity. Traditional manners and means may be used to take non-threatened species.

The drafters intended amendments to the Tennessee Constitution take time and be well considered. The first step in the process of amending our Constitution required both houses of the General Assembly to approve the proposed constitutional amendment by a majority vote. This happened in March, 2008. Then the amendment was published more than six months prior to the next election [November 2008].

The proposed amendment was then presented and considered by the next general assembly. Both the house and senate must approve the amendment by a two-thirds majority vote in this step. I had a hand in this vote and have great pride in having co-sponsored Senate Joint Resolution No. 30 during my first year of service in the State Senate.

The initiative to be decided on November 2, 2010 is the last of a multi-step process. It's not enough that the amendment pass by a majority vote. The number of affirmative votes must exceed half of the number of voters that voted in the gubernatorial election.

Here's an example: Assume 1.2 million citizens vote in the governor's election. Assume the constitutional amendment receives overwhelming support with 599,999 affirmative votes and only 100,000 negative votes [six to one margin]. The amendment would FAIL because the affirmative votes are less than half of the number of voters in the gubernatorial election.

So, it's important sportsmen inform their non-hunting family, friends and neighbors that this ballot initiative should not be skipped or overlooked when voting on November 2.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Poor Man's Banana

I get anxious waiting for hunting seasons to arrive. Squirrel season opens the last Saturday in August. Dove season opens September 1st. Wood duck season begins the second Saturday in September. Bow season opens the last weekend of September. Even though I know the usual line-up of season starting dates, the anxiousness builds as I observe the true “signs” of the impending season.

The box elder leaves turn brown and begin falling in mid-August. Cool nights when one can first sleep with the windows open offer a welcomed break from summer’s heat. Mornings take their time turning into day as the fog in the river bottoms lingers past sunrise sometimes until noon. And the river grass begins losing its grip on terra firma.

There’s a sweet smell I associate with these early fall hunting seasons. It’s a smell that brings me joy – takes me back to my childhood when I would tag along with Dad as he squirrel hunted. It’s the smell of the pawpaw.

“The pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to America. Individual fruits weigh 5 to 16 ounces and are 3 to 6 inches in length. The larger sizes will appear plump, similar to the mango. The fruit usually has 10 to 14 seeds in two rows. The brownish to blackish seeds are shaped like lima beans, with a length of 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches. Pawpaw fruits often occur as clusters of up to nine individual fruits. The ripe fruit is soft and thin skinned.”

“Pawpaw fruit ripens during a four-week period between mid August and into October, depending on various factors. When ripe, it is soft and yields easily to a gentle squeeze, and has a pronounced perfumed fragrance. The skin of the green fruit usually lightens in color as it ripens and often develops blackish splotches which do not affect the flavor or edibility. The yellow flesh is custard like and highly nutritious. The best fruit has a complex, tropical flavor unlike any other temperate zone fruit. At present, the primary use of pawpaws is for fresh eating out of hand. The ripe fruit is very perishable with a shelf life of 2 or 3 days, but will keep up to 3 weeks if it is refrigerated at 40° - 45° F.”

As I opened trails to the various tree stands and duck blinds with the weed eater, I often encountered that joyous smell this past weekend. Pawpaw patches are numerous on Strum Island. I stopped to squeeze open one of those delicious fruits, savored the pudding-like contents, and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving - thanks for the bounty of the land, thanks for olfactory senses to enjoy the prize, thanks for a father who saw fit to include me in his life in the woods, thanks for sufficient memory to return to those carefree days when falls’ excitement was in the air, and thanks for the time away from all life obligations to once again enjoy the poor man’s banana.

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