Thoughts on native birds getting shot
This is regarding your article, “They don’t all get happy endings” (Oct. 3), about people shooting native birds, especially the ‘io, the Hawaiian hawk.
I suspect the increase in shootings could correlate to the increase in people raising chickens for eggs.
I have been keeping chickens for many years, and I’m pretty sure there are a lot more people keeping chickens now than there were when I started, based on the availability of layer pellets and the size of the shipments of feed that I notice arriving at L.H.L. Feed Store, the feed store I frequent most often.
I would never shoot a wild bird of prey, even if it threatened my chickens, but I’ve never lost a chicken that way.
Lately, I’ve been seeing an ‘io or perhaps another kind of hawk almost daily in our neighborhood. It’s beautiful to see it soaring. It has never shown an interest in my chickens, possibly because I have bird netting over their spacious enclosure. I think the hawks and owls can see the netting with their sharp eyes and stay clear.
In all the years I’ve kept chickens, the only incident I had was when an immature owl got snagged in my netting. It wasn’t hurt, and I was able to help it get out and fly away. It must have learned a lesson since it never got caught again, and I never lost any chickens.
Perhaps we could get the feed stores along with Costco and Walmart to post notices reminding people that it’s cruel and illegal to shoot these beautiful and threatened birds. It would be unfortunate if a law had to be passed to require feed sellers to post notices, when it’s such a simple and inexpensive way to perhaps help alleviate the problem.
Jake Jacobs
Kailua-Kona
‘Stop the steal’ … of grocery carts
One can’t drive through Hilo without seeing a number of abandoned grocery carts or persons pushing them along the roads. It’s a practice we’ve sadly grown to accept. But should we?
These carts are expensive stolen property, and any healthy society should make it difficult for people to steal.
Why should Target, Walmart and the grocery stores be on the hook for pricey carts just because someone doesn’t want to carry his/her own belongings?
When I purchased a bike from Costco a while back, I had to automatically add a $30 registration fee. Why not something similar for grocery carts?
Those who register their purchased carts would be allowed to keep them. Pilfered carts would be returned to the owner/business.
I know our fine police have a lot to do and may be reluctant to add another duty to their long list. But I think volunteers could help, as many of us are tired of paying higher store prices to finance the many grocery carts that are removed from businesses’ premises.
At the very least, Mayor Mitch Roth should meet with store managers and come up with a workable solution to clean up our once-beautiful town and stop the steal!
W. Rob Stanley
Hilo