With all the rhetoric that shows up in the backlash message board, I rarely bother checking in on this one. I am interested in talking about the outdoors, not arguing about [insert highly charged political opinion here].

That being said, Rock Rat is right, Most of the time, at least on most issues, most outdoorsmen tend to agree.

There are just as many conservatives who cause problems as there are liberals - they just tend to to cause different kinds of problems. The extreme ends of the political spectrum will never agree with one another. It's up to the rest of us to make the best of things.

I would also mention that the hunting and fishing that we enjoy today are remarkable. The pollution and environmental distruction that was rampant in this country is now a point by point problem that we can attack and correct. The walleyes and steelhead that Hoski fishes for are found in a watershed that was declared "dead" in the early 70s. Today that watershed is certainly alive and thriving. The population has more than doubled and the opportunity to hunt and fish and observe what my generation considered to be wilderness species is unprecedented. Sometimes I wonder whether the question is about how full the glass is? As a biologist in my 60s who expected that the only wildlife to be found at this point in time would be starlings and pidgeons and house sparrows, with only carp in the water I am amazed at our bounty. To me the glass is over 90% full.

I've had some casual liberal friends over the years. They throw some of the most wild and creative house parties! For close friends I prefer conservatives. It takes extra effort having a liberal friend because they are so easily worked up if certain subjects are discussed.

Rock Rat, I bet you and I would get along well in outdoor activities. I agree with 99% of your posts concerning hunting.

I still use the lead core bullets because I got tired of loading loads with the Barnes bullets trying to get them to shoot. I may be wasteful but from my earlier posts everyone knows I shoot all of my deer through the shoulders and I cut all of the meat off of the shoulders that has been affected by the bullet, therefore getting rid of any lead that may be in the meat. This being said I don't think there is any chance of me or anyone in my family getting lead out of any deer that I kill. If the shoulder is torn up too much I get rid of the whole thing getting rid of all of the bullet ridden meat. This may seem wasteful by some but I take no chances because I have grandkids that eat my deer meat. I use bonded bullets in my 300WSM and they don't shed as much lead as some of the regular bullets do as they pass clear through the animal.