Vets: Drilling = Zero Impact on Hunting

It’s Buck Monday, so the Patriot News asked hunters how much environmental impact has natural gas drilling had on hunting?  Zero, says long-time hunter and tour guide Ed Fisher, who runs LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve, a non-profit Potter County facility dedicated to offering therapeutic outdoor programs for wounded veterans with all levels of disabilities.

“The white-tail population is down, but that’s because of Game Commission policy, not gas drilling,” said another 61-year hunting veteran from Towanda. 

Hmmm, that’s funny, seems like just days ago that Jan Jarrett of PennFuture said we need to tax the gas industry so government could help the hunters.

“A tax on the drilling – with a portion invested in the environment, our agencies that manage fishing and hunting for the citizens, and in the local communities that host the drilling, and with 60 percent going to the general fund – can help fill some of the holes in the budget,” said Jarrett.  (If you can’t follow the math or logic, remind yourself this is actually from their own news release.)

Looks like the hunters are saying less government equals better hunting.  Nevertheless, they certainly aren’t adjusting for windage today due to natural gas drilling.