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I worked at a place that sold permits for hunting on nature preserve in New York State. We'd get people coming up from New York City with brand new guns with the K-Mart stickers still on them, and a picture book...pointing to the goat and saying, "Deer?"...."no," I'd say....then the cow./. "deer?" and I'd have to find a picture of a deer and tell them: "deer"... (I don't speak Spanish, so it was very difficult to communicate.)

Then, about an hour later, I'd see them back again, when they couldn't figure out how to operate the action on their shiny new gun. I probably shouldn't have shown them how to operate it, but I was young and I think that part of me was hoping they'd off a few of each other. ;-) I recall wondering how they ever got their licenses...we had to complete a course, written test, and shooting test.

I could hunt there myself, but believe me, I never would do so with these idjits out there.

Your story doesn't sound right, Gondring. New York, like virtually every state in the union, requires hunters to undergo a Hunter Education and Safety Course before they can obtain a license, even a one-day permit.

In fact, most states require both a written test and a field test with a firearm. Among other subjects, the written test covers the type of game that can be harvested, as well as optimal shot placement on whitetail deer.

Now I'm not saying you're untruthful, Gondring, and goodness knows there are plenty of morons who hunt, just like there are morons who drive. All I'm saying is the folks in your story obviously did not pass Hunters Ed if they could not distinguish between a deer and a goat, and could not work the actions on their firearms. They were not legal hunters under New York law, and I don't know how such people could legally obtain a one-day permit. Did I miss something?