Memorable Quotes 2011
For many years I’ve created a monthly column of interesting and provocative quotes, for The Maine Sportsman. From time to time I’m going to offer you quotes, starting with a bunch from past years, in this outdoor news blog. Some you will remember. Some will make you think. Some will make you laugh. Here are some quotes from 2011.
Working on fairy shrimp in vernal pools while the deer population crashes or you have no clue how many moose there are in the north woods is simply inexcusable.
Don Kleiner of the Maine Professional Guides Association, criticizing the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at SAM’s Sportsman’s Congress, January 7, 2011.
Our hope was that we could move them to this Shangri-la island away from the jets and breed them and move them.
Wally Jacubus, DIF&W’s mammal group leader, on his agency’s effort to move a colony of 15 cottontail rabbits, now on Maine’s endangered species list, from the Portland Jetport to a Kennebunkport island. Thirteen of the rabbits died after being moved. Beth Quimby story, Maine Sunday Telegram, September 4, 2011.
We’re calling to notify you there is a bear in your front yard.
Police message to residents of a Portland neighborhood. David Hench story, Portland Press Herald, September 24, 2011
It was getting to be 7 o’clock and you don’t want school buses and firearms on the scene.
Portland Lt. James Sweatt, explaining why game wardens shot the 120-pound bear. Same story.
I have been kind of shocked to see that members of the tea party have chosen to make this their fall-on-the-sword or die-on-the-hill issue. The tactics are very very aggressive. Very nasty emails, phone calls. The tone has been upsetting me.
Then-Senator David Trahan (now SAM Executive Director), commenting after his bill to give DIF&W a small percentage of sales tax revenue fell two votes short in the Senate after passing in the House. Steve Mistler story, Lewiston Sun Journal, June 29, 2011
My last job will be my best job.
Chandler Woodcock on his new job as DIF&W Commissioner. Deirdre Fleming story, Maine Sunday Telegram, April 10, 2011.
It’s a very emotional debate. People do it and swear it’s positive for deer and it doesn’t matter what the science and the department say. That is a battle we are not going to win.
Lee Kantar, DIF&W deer biologist (at that time), about deer feeding, a practice the agency discourages. Deirdre Fleming story, Kennebec Journal, February 13, 2011.
In the public meeting, a man from New Jersey asked why we don’t stock walleyes or pike. He said they love it in New Jersey. So I had to keep everyone else quiet, because at this point they’re going to kill this guy. And I said, “Quite honestly, you’re probably the only one in this room who thought of New Jersey as a fishing destination.” That pretty much defused the situation.
Robert Van-Wiper, DIF&W Regional Fisheries Biologist. Deirdre Fleming’s Freshwater Fishing column, August 8, 2011.
Oh my God. He’s wearing a life jacket. If you have to wear a life jacket to ice fish, maybe it’s not worth it.
Warden Rick Clowry, observing an ice angler in the middle of Wyman Lake. Chris Cousins story, Bangor Daily News, January 2, 2011.
The reality is there is scarcely any money to help repair a complicated problem that took 10 years to develop and could take twice that to fix.
Deirdre Fleming column about Maine’s Game Plan for Deer, Maine Sunday Telegram, March 27, 2011.
