Asking for compassion

To the Editor:

To "System for Hunters:" I have my property posted and the surrounding property I oversee for land owners posted and the signs get torn down and walked past. I put so many up last year a satellite view of this area would have glowed. Five big bucks were still taken from the posted land.

I had mellowed from last season until last night when I saw the unhumane way humans can treat injured animals. Driving home from work on State Highway 37 in the dark, someone had hit a deer and left it in left lane. It was alive and in what seemed like a laying down position only because its legs were busted up.

Another driver and I were there with our flashers on blocking traffic from running over it again. An officer was on the way. This man stopped, walked past me saying with no feeling "get it off the road, it's going to die anyway," went to the deer and dragged and threw it to side of road, walked back past me and said "now you can get off the road."

Horrified the other woman and I walked to the deer and it had struggled to upright itself in a laying position in the road. Its breathing was shallow in a shock state, now it was rapid as if it realized the hell it was in.

The officer came and put it to rest and I praise him for waiting until the other lady and I were out of gun shot range.

I live with the animals and many of them have come to my corner of the world with car wounds and gun shot wounds. I stay with them until they are put down. I would hope someone would do me that respect when my time comes. And they wonder why I am becoming a recluse.

Please slow down on all highways at night and if you hit an animal please stop and take care of it or call someone to do it. The sheriffs are available and respectfull of our feelings.

P.S. There is so much property not private where folks don't live where you can hunt and to help you out, all the land from the 10 1/2 mile marker to the Riverside Inn and 80 acres on top of the hillside is private and no hunting.

Marlene Raitt

Libby