Two hunting parties, two different situations

It’s not who you know, it’s who you ARE.

Recently, in Laguna Vista, the neighborhood where Five O’Clock Somewhere is located, there have been a couple of incidents involving hunting.

Just within the past week or so, there has been a rash of incidents in which the gate has been left open, either by people who are too lazy to shut it behind them, or by people who actually wish to allow unauthorized people in. Two mutilated elk carcasses have been found in the neighborhood, as well as the remains of a hunting camp. The hunters involved have violated a number of rules, regulations, and laws:

• Hunting is not permitted in Laguna Vista.


• Discharging a firearm within 300 feet of an occupied dwelling is not permitted in Rio Arriba County.


• Hunting on private property without the consent of the property owner is prohibited by state game laws.


• Hunters may kill a bull elk only with a permit and antler tag, and a hunter may not kill more than one bull elk in a season.


• Even hunters with permits may kill an elk only during the designated season for the region in which the hunter is hunting.


• Hunters must not leave carcasses behind; if a hunter wants only the head, the hunter is still responsible for taking care of the rest of the carcass.

On the other hand, about a month before, a solo hunter brought down a large mule deer in the neighborhood. This particular hunter, while not obeying the laws about permits and seasons, did make the kill without using a firearm, and the hunter also made use of the entire carcass. Felis concolor, also known as mountain lion, puma, panther, cougar, and several other names, is welcome to hunt in Laguna Vista. She knows what hunting is really all about.