These men were all native Canadians and bush saavy. I don't understand what the problem is for them to request a rifle. The mere presence of the firearm shouldn't be a problem, especially with knowledgable folks. I didn't read anywhere in the story that they were about to, or were contemplating "shooting without proper identification". I do agree that shooting at an unknown target, or sound, out of fear, is not only dangerous and irresponsible but also most likely criminal.
Posted on Mar 13, 2002, 10:16 AM from IP address 12.86.30.20