[obol] Re: Eugene - camo-clad figures scoping geese may be CDC commandos!
- From: Joel Geier <joel.geier@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Oregon Birders OnLine <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:10:34 -0800
Hi all,
Out of the many possibilities explored in this wide-ranging thread,
there is still one more that explains EVERYTHING:
Perhaps this is an Elite Goose Ops (EGO) squad from the Center for
Disease Control (CDC), searching for and destroying stray Eurasian geese
that may be carrying avian flu viruses across our unprotected northern
border. This explains ALL of the salient observations:
1. The window-mounted scope (used to pick out individual birds for
targeting by a skilled sniper),
2. The camo (elite commandos need to wear this to keep up their image,
even in suburban environments), and
3. The scowl (no doubt they were evaluating whether this bicyclist might
have already picked up a goose-borne plague, and would also need to be
culled).
Rumor has it that an identically dressed team was recently spotted near
the Bean Goose, but -- in their attempts to remove this Eurasian disease
vector -- they were stymied by an impenetrable wall of birders wearing
brightly colored Columbia Sportswear jackets.
I've posted COMPLETE details, DEEP background sources, and several
hallucinations that seemed relevant at:
http://www.wackotheories.org/goosecommandos.html
OK, MORE SERIOUSLY:
The dividing line between birders and hunters is not that clear. Lots of
people do both, including many OBOLers.
Also, lots of people own just one set of outerwear suitable for late
fall/winter conditions in western Oregon.
If you hunt even occasionally, or if you shop at Cabela's rather than
REI, or if you just happen to live in rural Oregon and you'd like to
blend in with your neighbors, then you might choose camo when you buy
that one all-purpose jacket.
The advantage of camo for getting better views of wildlife in natural
settings -- whether you're birding or hunting -- are beyond dispute.
I'm not sure that holds up for camo shorts, as I mentioned, or that it
makes any difference to wear camo while while you're sitting in a bright
red diesel pickup amid mowed green lawns.
But people wear what they have available. Me, I try to wear orange or
red since I tend to go birding in E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, which gets
more hunters per acre than any other site in Oregon.
Oh, and about those scowls ...
I've noticed while leading field trips that many birders who haven't had
much contact with hunters have a reflexive negative reaction -- often in
the form of audible comments -- when they see someone dressed in camo or
carrying a shotgun.
Hunters -- like most other members of our species -- are very good at
picking up on body language at a distance, and they tend to respond in
kind. You can choose whether to have negative or positive encounters
with hunters in the field, by paying attention to your own signals.
If you can squelch that initial negative reaction and muster a friendly
hello, you may be surprised at how many hunters turn out to be friendly,
thoughtful and interesting people. Many of them have shared interests in
conservation that often go far beyond "huntable" wildlife.
Happy birding,
Joel
--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis
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