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Collars, Blankets, and Perspective

Does anybody remember the movie Maverick with Mel Gibson as the poker player that wins the big tournament on the riverboat? Sometimes I think the field trialing community is kinda like the poker players on that boat. We are all on the inside of the boat and all our attention is devoted to trying to win the game and trying to keep the other guy from cheating us or shooting us in the back. Even the administrators of the tournament and the security and other leadership involved is totally focused on providing a fair playing field for the entrants. Consider for a moment that the most serious threat to the players is not actually something on the inside of the boat. What if there were folks on the shoreline firing cannons at the hull? What if the boat starts taking on water? Shouldn’t some of the players or the leaders turn their attention away from the table and address the threats that are coming from outside the boat? Sometimes we all have trouble looking at a situation from the proper perspective. From the inside it may seem like protecting yourself from the suspected cheater sitting across the table is priority number one. If you look at the situation from the outside you might see the hole in the hull as the first priority and the next incoming cannonball as a close second.

Perhaps we should reevaluate all of our available resources, every aspect of how we operate, and every new innovation from the perspective of keeping this sport afloat. Priority number one should be preserving the sport. Every other concern is secondary.

With respect to Garmin Alphas:
Imagine a field trial where every hound was wearing a TT10 collar. Every hunter watches their screen and each time they suspect their hound is baying they tone the collar and break up the bay instantly. Is that a bad thing? Wouldn’t that help us protect the sport for future generations? Some hounds may have to be given time to recast but that is a small internal problem that can be handled. Wouldn’t it be nice to have wall to wall running at every hunt because the pens stay fully stocked? Wouldn’t the pen owners be happier? Wouldn’t the state wildlife departments be happier when they could bring data to the public meetings that show the game in the pens is safer than game in the wild?

Regarding number blankets:
Shouldn’t we at least consider the possibility that using the blankets might be more ethical than painting a hound and stripping the paint off? Could it possibly be healthier for the hound? Wouldn’t it help our image with folks outside the sport? A hound that has pulled at his painted number can be an unpleasant image and it might stir up additional anti hunting sentiments.

I know most will want to keep doing things like they have been doing them until the boat sinks. I guess it’s human nature. I just hope everyone knows we can improve our situation if we are willing to be proactive and make some changes.

Re: Collars, Blankets, and Perspective

While it should be every one who participates in our sport objective to make
it better we will NEVER satisfy those who stated goals are to ELIMINATE it.
By placating to them gives their view point credence when it has none. (See
current Russian issue.) The only way to prevent Animal Rights activist from
eliminating us is to defeat them. We should turn the public's inspection on
them, the way they collect and spend their money, their extremist ideas, and
by exposing their propensity to LIE.