Singleton writes of the 'promises and problems' of fall hunting season

Turkeys: more and more scarce here

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Hunting season brings problems” was originally published in the Dec. 4, 1975 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

With the coming of the fall hunting season come also many promises and problems. The way is open for all that have a yearning to take up the gun or rifle and venture forth for a day that is to be cherished – or a day that we would rather not mention in the company of others.

We are blessed here in this area to be able to reach the good hunting grounds without having to travel great distances or invest a considerable amount of our money in the purchasing of hunting licenses and permits to enter the areas where the game abounds. We take for granted these privileges that are gradually fading with the sunset, not realizing that soon we will hunt no more the wild turkey, the deer and the fox that have been so plentiful in the days gone by.

Soon the game will vanish, and all that will remain will be the memories of how it used to be.

The slaughter of our deer for the sake of killing will bear on the conscience of the guilty ones. The memory of this beautiful creature leaping gracefully along will only be a memory.

The land will be barren of the small spotted fawn as it wobbles along beside its mother, trying so hard to keep up.

The magnificent buck with its wonderous set of antlers will be seen only in pictures, because someone didn’t believe that he should abide by the law and cease the needless killing.

No more will the sound of the turkey gobbler, as he struts to and fro, cause the heart of the hunter to beat faster when he has given the mating call that has fooled the old gentleman.

No more wild turkeys

No more will the sight of wild turkeys feeding cause one to stop and look and marvel as they gracefully stalk by, watching and feeding, while talking in the turkey language that only they understand.

Why must we as humans kill for the sake of killing? Why can’t we abide by the ancient law and hunt only for what we can use?

Are there ones who are proud of the game they slaughter, leaving the dead animals to spoil and rot when there are people hungry almost within gunshot range?

Have we grown so cold that we care not for tomorrow? Will we leave this great land, which has supplied our forefathers with boundless game, to our children, bare and fruitless?

Respect nature

The early Indian knew that man had to respect nature and conserve its abundance. He also knew that man and his greed could forever erase from the face of the earth the riches placed here for him to enjoy.

If the trend continues within our lifetime, we may witness the vanishing of the game in our area. We may witness the revenge of Nature as she unleashes the same wrath on mankind and destroys him, just as he destroyed that which was placed here to aid him in his survival.

Only time will tell. The future is not bright with promise.

Like a giant shadow, the darkness of extinction slowly creeps across the land, and man will forever suffer and suffer until he too will be hunted and pushed from the face of the land – the land he tried so hard to destroy.

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)