Since this issue first arose and since MOS put together and sent out a rather hurriedly-written position statement, I've been receiving a small but steady stream of thoughtful, coherent, and courteous responses to that position from people who are hunters, birders, and conservationists...from people who think we should be cautious about how we word some of our objections to Sunday hunting. Probably the most telling criticism is that we, collectively, failed to adequately research what turns out to be a somewhat complex set of issues. I'm not going to back off from my personal feelings about hunting but I do think that many of the points raised to me by people I consider to be responsible conservationists need to be considered carefully. To that end, I am working on a thorough re-wording of the MOS position statement regarding hunting on Sundays and will present that statement to the MOS Board of Directors for their consideration at the June Board Meeting. Prior to that time I will likely be in touch with many of you who have been most active in your concern over this issue in order to elicit your continuing input and also to share with you some of the materials (at times voluminous--you know who you are--grin) I have been sent. I want to thank everyone for the support that was forthcoming on this issue despite the very short notice involved. Now, hopefully, we can all take a deep breath and do the research necessary to make an informed and responsible decision regarding the position MOS should take on this topic. In the meantime, I urge each of you to continue to write your legislators in Annapolis and make your personal feelings known. There is no substitute for active participation in our democratic process! Best, Norm Saunders ============= Norm Saunders President, MD Ornithological Society Editor, The Maryland Yellowthroat Listowner, MDOsprey, the Maryland Birding Discussion List http://www2.ari.net/osprey/mdosprey/mdosprey.html Colesville, MD osprey@ari.net