The other side of bow hunting

Dear Editors,
Your editorial last week about the state of bow hunting, prompted me to write this letter. I enjoy reading the Telegraph whenever I can get my hands on one. I also bow hunt. I want to let everyone know that we are not all out-of-state, mustached, Natural Light drinkers with four-wheelers and cell phones.

When I go bow hunting I am disappointed if I see even one other vehicle near where I choose to hunt. I would never hunt Hermosa Creek after reading about your adventure. It seems that if you are willing to hike a little farther you can hunt in virtually untouched wilderness where there are no four-wheelers and cell phones. I prefer the backcountry without many footprints. I like to hunt for the thrill of close encounters with big game and the prospect of a full freezer throughout the winter. I don’t think that happens very often when your cell phone is ringing and the people in the next camp are cruising their four-wheelers. To harvest an animal is the goal, but it isn’t the only mark of success.

This year I didn’t even get the opportunity to release an arrow. My hunting season was still a lot of fun though. I hunted in several public areas where I was the only one there. Finding areas without other people and all of their toys is exciting for me. That is where the elk are anyway!
I hunted above Purgatory a couple of times this season and saw what you described in your article. Several out-of-state hunters with huge outfitter tents, four-wheelers and camp trailers. Even if they had had Colorado license plates I would have been disappointed to see that scene! I didn’t hunt up there the rest of the season. I know that all bow hunters are not like the ones that you ran into up Hermosa Creek. I would never take a four-wheeler on a bow hunt. I’d rather make six trips with a backpack to haul an elk out of a roadless area. Besides, the cold Natural Light tastes that much better when you have worked for it!

– Jim Hughes
Colorado Native and a bow hunter

Where is the love?

Dear Editors:

This letter refers to my “Help” and “Housekeeping” classifieds in the Telegraph. I have had to pay the postmaster three calls concerning my mail and to no avail. I have concluded that donations to the ads are being sent back, lost or, I fear, being cashed by someone other than myself. I have received one donation of $20, which was promptly lost from my apartment before I even had a chance to respond to the lady that sent it. I briefly looked at the name intending to call her or write to her to thank her, only to discover that the check and envelope were not to be found anywhere in my apartment. I cannot remember her name.

If anyone out there has sent me a donation, please, please try to get in touch with me. I need to know what’s going on. I am also having trouble with my phone and reported that to the phone company. I may get a call but when I try to call back, no matter what time of day, I always get a busy signal. Please try to communicate with me if you have sent a donation, or if you have tried to reach me concerning my solicitation for employment. There is something going on here, and I don’t know how to solve it unless one of the donors contacts me personally at: 633 Arroyo Drive, No. 301, Durango, CO 81301 or 375-9729.

– Thank you so much,

Florida Hernadez