Soooo many emails like this in my email box this morning (so no need to send me anymore):

Jonah,
After perusing the Corner this afternoon, I felt I had to comment on a couple of your posts.
First, if the government (or someone) can figure out how to make gasoline from kudzu, I suspect that the southeastern states could become the new OPEC.
Second, on the hunting thing:
For many years I hunted antelope in southeastern Colorado on thousands of acres of private land. The ranchers were happy to let you hunt for free. Most hated the antelope (it’s an arid area and they thought the antelope competed with their cattle for the grass), and would ask (mostly in jest) that you “shoot em’ all, and if you see any coyotes, shoot them too.” These ranchers were all very nice people and I think they enjoyed our visits each fall, and we very much enjoyed their hospitality.
I had free access to some of the best private land elk hunting in the Colorado for about ten years. This came about through an attorney friend who represented the landowner and got elk hunting privileges as a bonus. The ranch owner was a rich Texan whom kept the ranch solely for hunting. He used it to entertain his best business associates and customers. We could only shoot cow elk, the bulls were for his pals. We lost this privilege several years ago, however, when the property was sold.
Elk hunting is the big money hunt in Colorado. Large landowners, or guides that have leased up large tracts, can easily charge $500.00 to $1,000.00 for what is called a “trespass fee.” In the best elk hunting areas, where trophy bulls are known to roam, the fee can be as much as $10,000.00. This will include a cabin or tent with excellent chef prepared meals, etc., and a guided quality hunt. This is no joke. There are many Texans that pay that at the drop of a hat. Consequently, access to private land elk hunting has become very difficult for people of average means. For elk, long gone are the days of knocking on a door and having the landowner gladly giving you permission to hunt. By the way, there is, of course, much public land on which to hunt. But, because of crowd control, the quality hunting is primarily on private land.
I don’t much like the outfitters, but many ranchers (ones that are still really ranchers and are trying to maintain the family place, as opposed to the rich ones, such as our former benefactor, whom use a ranch as a write-off) are struggling to maintain their places. Cattle ranching is not easy, and I would guess that in most years a ranching family is happy to break even. I don’t blame these folk for taking advantage of the situation. However, I would like to see the rancher let a reasonable number of people, for the size of his ranch, pay him a reasonable fee to hunt, rather than leasing to an outfitter whom then charges exorbitant amounts.
As for the progressives aiding the hunting community; that will be the day. I would not support giving any and all hunters free trespass rights on all private property, but can you ever imagine the day when a Democratic politician would feel comfortable in introducing a bill that would require landowners to allow people with high powered rifles onto their land.