To the Editor:
Okay, okay, maybe The Times should have used more discretion and not placed a photo of a dead deer on the front page of the December 4 issue, but in response to the attacks on hunters in print and online, listen up.
These so-called unscrupulous predators were carrying out a necessary activity long before some people decided it was incorrect. In fact, they are the very people who protect these creatures through the agencies that benefit from the enormous amount of revenue produced by licensing.
And to the letter writer (Dec. 11, “A little more sensitivity needed”) who arrived here and thinks that the fall harvest is about picking grapes and pumpkins, fine. However, I suggest you have a conversation with some of our Island “game managers.” You see, besides providing a balance to the deer herd that nature cannot provide, these hunters are also vital to the daily management of the Island. They are our police, firefighters, and tradesmen. They are not the callous, insensitive predators that some critics perceive them to be.
In the early 70s, when I first arrived on the Island, I raised my family on this precious meat staple and shared it with my friends, although I had to rename it for people who could not get over the thought of deer meat but loved the taste. You can bet my friends will receive their precious seasonal package of “high speed veal” and a package of bay scallops. And to an old friend, Tom Taylor (Dec. 4, “Point and let the arrow fly”), touché!
Keep on shucking.
Ted “Cap” Karalekas
Vineyard Haven
