[mou] "NO Birdwatching" signs
Mike Hendrickson
smithville4@charter.net
Tue, 8 Feb 2005 08:59:57 -0600
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Hello:
I been to Sax Zim Bog a lot this year and seen some changes in the past =
weeks. In the beginning all the birders that came to this area were =
doing everything they could to keep the residents happy. I posted in =
the past some houses to avoid to stop at. I posted later on asking =
birders, do not even bother stopping on shoulders of roads to glimpse =
the birds in front of houses in Sax Zim Bog.
Yesterday I lost it. I was with a small group of birders and we were =
moving along Co. Rd. 7 and saw some birds on the road. Yes on the road =
and not in the residents yards or anything like that. We watched the =
birds from the shoulder of the road with our flashers on. I noticed as I =
looked over to my left there is a yard that is littered with small =
fluorescents signs that say "NO BIRDWATCHING"!! I looked at it and =
realized I parked across from the yard where the woman in the past =
claims birders are stealing her mail! Yes her mail. Now that is funny!
So I sat there thinking "hold on here, I pay my taxes in this county, I =
am parked legally, I got my flashers on, and were all in the car looking =
at all the birds". Now this lunatic woman and her neighbors are telling =
me I can not stop on a public road and look at birds. They must think =
the feeders they put up to attract the birds are THEIR birds and THEIR =
property. They should be the only ones to enjoy them. So if the birds =
land on the road to grit, They obviously feel they own the road as well. =
I decided I am not going to be bullied anymore by these paranoid, =
HEE-HAW re-run watching bumpkins! I am NOT going to bend anymore to =
them. If I see birds on a public road in front of people's houses I am =
going to stop and view these birds.
I am tired of these people driving over the speed limit on county roads =
they feel they own. I am tired of them stopping and giving birders the =
"finger". I am tired of them yelling something and spitting Copenhagen =
at the same time! I am tired of them stopping and shaking their heads =
and then slam on the gas pedal like some wanna be Dale Earnahardt. I am =
just plain tired of these idiots.
The sax zim bog group is thinking about taking this area and make it a =
wonderful place for birders to come. This group wants to build =
boardwalks in the bog and pull offs for cars to park and turn around in =
and they want to work with the community. These are good ideas but I =
know these country hay making, drug creating, and pot growing people =
are going to use the boardwalks and trails for their ATV's and they =
will not listen to smart people because they feel the land is theirs to =
hunt, poach and drive their sleds and ATVS all over on! IF the any =
group decided to buy one of them shacks and put a parking lot in and add =
a bunch of feeders around the shack, the country bumpkins would come by =
and destroy the feeders and spray paint their feelings about us on the =
shack.
If it wasn't for nesting Great Gray Owls, Yellow Rails, Conn. Warbler, =
Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees, =
Sharp-tailed Grouse and LeConte's Sparrow there would be no need for =
birders to come here, BUT they do exist here and its a really easy place =
to find these birds. Unfortunately there are backwoods paranoid people =
out here that do not like visitors at all. There is no way in my opinion =
to even remotely work things out with them.
As far as these signs in front of some houses along Co. Rd 7 "NO =
BIRDWATCHING" that means no standing on the shoulder and stare at their =
house or feeders but legally in my opinion if you are off the shoulder =
safely and have your flashers on it is legal. I asked a homeowner in =
Two Harbors where he is hosting several Hoary Redpolls, if he is getting =
complaints from neighbors and ect.. Oh by the way this guy is also a =
sheriff. He told me as long as birders are parked safely and not =
interrupting traffic, birders are allowed to park along county road =
shoulders and view birds. So the people in Sax Zim once again feel they =
own county road 7 and especially the piece of the road in front of their =
houses. This is not true of course and birders in my opinion can view =
all the birds they want from this road. This is no different from =
looking at owls along Co. Rd 7. I am still waiting for them to place =
signs all along Co. Rd 7 saying "NO OWL WATCHING" because the residents =
have to slow down from 70mph to 50mph while they head to Eveleth to buy =
more oven cleaner & other house hold chemicals, and dog food.
I am just tired of bending over for them, act nice to them and get =
fingered at the same time while doing so. and also put on my "be a good =
birding rep. smile on". To me the only good people up there are the =
residents of Cotton, workers at Wilbert's Cafe, the owner of Farmer's =
Market in Meadowlands and the good people at Food & Fuel gas station in =
Cotton. The residents I am talking about are the ones that live in the =
shacks, trailer homes and other houses in the backwoods of Sax Zim who =
are life time members of Posse Comitatus and other militia groups.
Anyway the sad and funny issue about all of this is that these people =
could of placed a drop box put in front of their houses and ask for =
donations for feed. They could of made a really good profit each weekend =
from all the hundred of birders that would of gave to them. I truly =
believe there is no way to educate them or reach out to them. There =
actions in the past months have shown me how they feel about strangers, =
visitors and birders.=20
Oh I forgot there is one good guy who lives in the backwoods of Sax Zim. =
I am sure some birders seen this guy, he the elderly man in bibs that =
walks along the railroad tracks in the early morning and waves at all =
the cars that drive by. That guy is truly a diamond in the rough.
Mike H.=20
Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Minnesota Birding Treks
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Hello:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>I been to Sax Zim Bog a lot =
this year and=20
seen some changes in the past weeks. In the beginning all =
the=20
birders that came to this area were doing everything they could to =
keep the=20
residents happy. I posted in the past some houses to =
avoid to=20
stop at. I posted later on asking birders, do=20
not even bother stopping on shoulders of roads to glimpse the birds =
in=20
front of houses in Sax Zim Bog.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Yesterday I lost it. I was =
with a small=20
group of birders and we were moving along Co. Rd. 7 and saw some birds =
on the=20
road. Yes on the road and not in the residents yards or anything like =
that. We=20
watched the birds from the shoulder of the road with our flashers on. I =
noticed=20
as I looked over to my left there is a yard that is littered with small=20
fluorescents signs that say "NO BIRDWATCHING"!! I looked at it and =
realized I parked across from the yard where the woman in the past =
claims=20
birders are stealing her mail! Yes her mail. Now that is=20
funny!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>So I sat there thinking "hold =
on here, I=20
pay my taxes in this county, I am parked legally, I got my flashers on, =
and were=20
all in the car looking at all the birds". Now this lunatic woman =
and her=20
neighbors are telling me I can not stop on a public road and look =
at birds.=20
They must think the feeders they put up to attract the birds are THEIR =
birds and=20
THEIR property. They should be the only ones to enjoy them. =
So if=20
the birds land on the road to grit, They obviously feel they own the =
road as=20
well. I decided I am not going to be bullied anymore by these =
paranoid,=20
HEE-HAW re-run watching bumpkins! I am NOT going to bend anymore to =
them. =20
If I see birds on a public road in front of people's houses I =
am going=20
to stop and view these birds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>I am tired of these people =
driving over=20
the speed limit on county roads they feel they own. I am tired of =
them=20
stopping and giving birders the "finger". I am tired of them =
yelling=20
something and spitting Copenhagen at the same time! I am tired of =
them=20
stopping and shaking their heads and then slam on the gas pedal like =
some wanna=20
be Dale Earnahardt. I am just plain tired of these =
idiots.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>The sax zim bog group is =
thinking about=20
taking this area and make it a wonderful place for birders to come. This =
group=20
wants to build boardwalks in the bog and pull offs for cars to park and =
turn=20
around in and they want to work with the community. These are good =
ideas=20
but I know these country hay making, drug creating, and pot =
growing people=20
are going to use the boardwalks and trails for their ATV's and =
they will=20
not listen to smart people because they feel the land is theirs to =
hunt,=20
poach and drive their sleds and ATVS all over on! IF the any group =
decided=20
to buy one of them shacks and put a parking lot in and add a bunch of =
feeders=20
around the shack, the country bumpkins would come by and destroy the =
feeders and=20
spray paint their feelings about us on the shack.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>If it wasn't for nesting =
Great Gray Owls,=20
Yellow Rails, Conn. Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Black-backed=20
Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees, Sharp-tailed Grouse and LeConte's =
Sparrow there=20
would be no need for birders to come here, BUT they do exist here and =
its a=20
really easy place to find these birds. Unfortunately there are backwoods =
paranoid people out here that do not like visitors at all. There is no =
way in my=20
opinion to even remotely work things out with them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>As far as these signs in =
front of some=20
houses along Co. Rd 7 "NO BIRDWATCHING" that means no standing on the =
shoulder=20
and stare at their house or feeders but legally in my opinion if you are =
off the=20
shoulder safely and have your flashers on it is legal. I asked a =
homeowner=20
in Two Harbors where he is hosting several Hoary Redpolls, if he is =
getting=20
complaints from neighbors and ect.. Oh by the way this guy is also a =
sheriff. He=20
told me as long as birders are parked safely and not interrupting =
traffic,=20
birders are allowed to park along county road shoulders and view =
birds. So=20
the people in Sax Zim once again feel they own county road 7 and =
especially=20
the piece of the road in front of their houses. This is not true of =
course and=20
birders in my opinion can view all the birds they want from this =
road. =20
This is no different from looking at owls along Co. Rd 7. I am still =
waiting for=20
them to place signs all along Co. Rd 7 saying "NO OWL =
WATCHING"=20
because the residents have to slow down from 70mph to 50mph while =
they head=20
to Eveleth to buy more oven cleaner & other house hold chemicals, =
and dog=20
food.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>I am just tired of bending =
over for them,=20
act nice to them and get fingered at the same time while doing so. and=20
also put on my "be a good birding rep. smile on". To me the =
only good=20
people up there are the residents of Cotton, workers at Wilbert's Cafe, =
the=20
owner of Farmer's Market in Meadowlands and the good people at Food =
& Fuel=20
gas station in Cotton. The residents I am talking about are the =
ones that=20
live in the shacks, trailer homes and other houses in the backwoods of =
Sax Zim=20
who are life time members of Posse Comitatus and other militia=20
groups.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Anyway the sad and funny =
issue about all=20
of this is that these people could of placed a drop box put in =
front of=20
their houses and ask for donations for feed. They could of made a really =
good profit each weekend from all the hundred of birders that would =
of gave=20
to them. I truly believe there is no way to educate them or reach =
out to=20
them. There actions in the past months have shown me how they feel =
about=20
strangers, visitors and birders. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Oh I forgot there is one =
good guy=20
who lives in the backwoods of Sax Zim. I am sure some birders seen =
this=20
guy, he the elderly man in bibs that walks along the railroad =
tracks in the=20
early morning and waves at all the cars that drive by. That=20
guy is truly a diamond in the rough.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Mike H.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Michael =
Hendrickson<BR>Duluth,=20
Minnesota<BR>Minnesota Birding Treks<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/">http://webpages.chart=
er.net/mmhendrickson/</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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