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Gator-trapping clashes with quest for quiet

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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 8120.story

OrlandoSentinel.com

Gator-trapping clashes with quest for quiet

Daphne Sashin
Sentinel Staff Writer

October 28, 2007


Alligator hunters could see restrictions on their nighttime activities in the years ahead, with county officials facing continued noise complaints from lakefront homeowners. And that could mean more gators.

THE BACKGROUND: The Osceola County Commission in March banned airboats -- the vessel of choice for alligator hunters -- from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Lake Tohopekaliga and East Lake Toho, but lifted the curfew for licensed trappers during alligator-hunting season. During the season, which began Aug.15 and ends Thursday, the state allows hunting only between dusk and dawn.

THE CRITICS: The hunting season caused a fresh round of noise grievances in September and October from homeowners on Lake Toho, mostly from the Hidden Harbor community. State-mandated mufflers have helped quiet the vessels, but residents complain they are awakened by the boats' airplane-type engines and propellers.

"I am so exhausted," Kathleen Littell of Hidden Harbor wrote in an Oct. 10 e-mail to Commissioner Ken Smith. "Do you understand that all we are asking is a quiet night?"

As of Monday, the Osceola Sheriff's Office had fielded 53 airboat-noise complaints during the hunting season. In all cases, the airboats were found to comply with the county's noise and airboat ordinances, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Homeowners say they won't back down.

"Gator hunters will have to come up with another means of transportation," said John Littell, Kathleen's husband. "Just as cowboys are no longer permitted to ride their horses down Main Street in Kissimmee, airboaters will have to relinquish their right to awaken those who live within earshot of their propellers."

Click on the URL below for the rest of the story.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 8120.story
 
This is what just sets me on fire !

"THE SOLUTION? Assistant County Attorney Sherry Hopkins plans to meet with commissioners soon to discuss ways to curtail the noise during hunting season.
"

Why must the solution be limiting noise instead of limiting complaining homeowners? huh????? They always single out only ONE side for enforcement or for a solution.

It is immature and irresponcible. Nuff said.

Scotty
 
One or two of the complainers may be a commissioner or family members.

For those of you that ride and hunt those lakes, you are already bent over! and they ain't gonna be using any K-Y or Vaseline. :D

Wild guess, 500 airboaters against 100,000 home owners. If it's just a voting and number things then the "destiny" has been written.

There will be a few that benefit from this. The State nuance trapper, They are going to be very busy in a few yrs out there.

Take a look at your foot! Is that wound self inflicted? What do you think about the muffler reg , now. Is it working?

This is going to be a major , mile stone of events, and strategic marker because airboater are clearly the minority.

What we going to do now? Give an inch or are they just going to tale the whole enchilada?

The growth on private land is going to push us into a little mud hole. Maintaining and increasing assess in State and federal land will even be a bigger issue.
 
Maybe when you are out gator hunting or froggin' that area, you should lodge a harassment of wildlife complaint against the houses, or complain about their lights or the ugly bit3h that's sittin outside whose pumpin tons of fertilizer into the water to keep her grass beautiful, feeds the spectacle that's a gator but calls the G.C. to come kill it once it's ate fluffy, the ultimate yankee ankle biter, now it's a devilish creature. Just complain about, seems who ever complains first must be in the right.

WhiteBear hit on the head. Why are people who are supposed to be intelligent, so Damn dumb. HELLO, We have been stewards of and enjoying these waterways and marshes for GENERATIONS! WHO the F45k are you to come destroy acres of habitat and wetlands to build these god awful cookiecutter neighborhoods, and then complain about things that have been here long before you knew what wetland was. The F@#kin crazy part is they are winning!!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Is there a meeting of somoesort to be held? I will attend. I will bring every warm body i can grab also.
excuse my language in this post.
 
Im going to start a thread about this in the politicsII forum, something just caught my eye about this article.
 
I THINK I WILL BUY A HOUSE NEXT TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND COMPLAIN THAT I CAN'T STAND THE NOISE AND THEY MUST STOP RUNNING THE TRAIN!!!!!!! DAMN YANKEES!!!!!!!!! GO HOME IF YOU DON'T US CRACKERS!!!!!!!!!
 
I bet you who ever owns the more expensive house will win this battle! This state sucks and I'm only here for the airboating once that's gone I can't wait to sell my house for stupid money and move somewhere like Alaska or Montana however I will not expect them to change or accommodate my want's. I bet for quality of life to cost Florida doesn't even have a city in the top ten!
 
Osceola Airboat Association is having a lake clean up November 3, 2007 on West Lake Toho. from 9:00am until 12:00pm. Osceola County Solid Waste Department is supplying the garbage bags and dumpster. We're trying to get some good publicity out of this. I personally would like to see a parade of Airboats cruse the lakefront at an idle in down town Kissimmee after the clean up; just to let the people know how many of us use the Lakes in Osceola County. In case you haven't heard there are two people writing stories and one coming to the Commission meeting making false statements about the Airboat Noise on Lake Toho. It is Gator Season and they have every right to be on our State owned lake, as long as they're running legal. If you want to come and support us, you can launch from any landing on Toho and just meet us at the Kissimmee Lake front boat ramp.
Cracker

cracker0320@yahoo.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crackersairboatclub
 
Our legal system is a little more complicated than just a majority rules thing
otherwise the south would still have slavery ( don't start, I'm just making a point )
The right side of an argument can win, and sometimes does even when in the
minority. It requires smarts, tenacity, and the ability to win Allies in the right places
our biggest problem is that the yanks have more time, ( many are retired, or don't
work for their money), and more money in most cases. So what better way to pass the time than to go to all the council meetings and piss and moan about every pet peeve
you can think of. When all the airboats are gone, there will be something else to bitch about. You can bet they wont be happy untill the land of my birth is just like
MASIVE TWO SHITS, or where ever the hell they come from. I'm sorry for using
that kind of language, I meant where ever the (heck) they came from.
Just One Old Cracker's Opinion, Thank You.
 
Maybe we should align ourselves more closly with the aviation community! Since they are bi@$hing about aircraft engines and props.. Once the airboaters are gone, the airplanes could be their next target!
I wonder who these idiots would complain to if airplanes began buzzing their homes... :lol:
FK
 
Fire off an e-mail everytime you hear something like this. We have a voice we just need to make it louder. Sqeeky wheel thing. Representatives, Governor, Leut. Governor, FWC. Bombard them with mail and let them know how we feel. Even the newspapers would be good.
 
im with thunder montana starting to look real good , although my uncle out there says there trying to outlaw snowmobiles an atvs got a lot of hollywood types buying up that state
 
i live with in 500 feet of the lake and 2500 feet of the rail road and i cant hear the airboats over the csx rail cars they should ask the comissioner to stop the train that passes threw town at 10:15 pm every night or tell them to use graphite lube on the tracks to cut the ear pierceing squeals from the wheels way over 150db oh wait i forgot that rich yankees dont live near rail roads but you know i live on this lake and there is a few of us that tickel the a$$ of those complaning people a little to much and those few that dew are just going to ruin it far all of us !!!!
 
complainin about the airport noise aint gonna work, thats how the yankees get back down here when theyr to old to drive :roll:
 
Maybe raise $$$ for a competent lawyer...........

This should be used for a full press drive to strengthen the non- discrimination Bill. A full press priority drive should include tons of grass roots letters, faxes, e-mails & calls to our elected officials voicing our concerns. (The NRA does a very good job of this. What do we do?) We have implemented a "Code of Ethics" and imposed mufflers upon ourselves and currently, according to the OCSO airboats are within the legal vessel sound level. The small group of home owners need to be shown as unreasonable.

I hope this issue is addressed as an urgent priority on the statewide level or we will certainly see more restrictions. 9You can be right & still lose!)
 
Back when I was lobbyist for ABATE to remove the helmet laws in Florida, at every motorcycle event ,the first 10 minutes were spent writing letters.

We would have stamps, envelopes, paper, pens all ready. You have Lake Toho cleanup cleanup, a big gator shoot out event the week after that, a 4x4/swamp buggy event in Okeechobee this weekend, monthly club meetings.

With ABATE, we had a list of appropriate people to mail to with pre-addressed envelopes ready and off they would go. We no longer have mandatory helmet laws in Florida.

When organizing a letter writing effort some points to keep in mind:

1. Make it personal - how does it impact you and your family and lifestyle or ability to make a living. Nothing angry or emotional - just facts.

2. Make it timely - it must be about current issue, legislation, etc.

3. Keep in mind "I am my brother's keeper" and help stand up for rights of others in other areas that might not directly impact your normal weekend ride.

4. Send the right letter to the right person - should it go to a city commissioner or mayor or your state representative.

5. Don't write a long letter - short to the point, POLITE, Spell check, Write neat so they can read it if hand written. Always hand sign if typed.

6. Give solid facts. This would be a good area for someone like Phil W to provide stats and facts that can be used consistently by everyone in each letter.

7. Keep letter to no more than 2 issues.

8. Offer possible solutions or alternatives - be a problem fixer not a whiner.


We will be at the Gator Shoot Out - I'll donate a box of envelopes and pad of paper and sell you the stamps on the spot and collect them and mail them. I think Joyce and Steve are going to be at Lake Toho cleanup - I'll see if they can provide the same.
 
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