Please keep in mind that I am NOT a hot keeper, but I have read many of the posts here, and see that most of you are very responsible owners with a true love of the animals you keep. With that in mind, may I offer an opinion?
I understand that this could be viewed as just another threat to your hobby, and that there is a pervasive fear that eventually, this hobby will be illegal, thanks mostly to a very ignorant public and a few keepers that have no business having hots and end up on the front page of the newspaper thanks to their irresponsibility. However, might there be some sort of middle ground here? Some education and training should very well be in order I would think, before obtaining a hot. Many of you have gotten hands on training for years before obtaining your animal. Some have not, and those are the ones giving the hobby a bad name and unfortunately, most of the publicity. Some type of educational program would most certainly weed out some of the morons who think having a hot is nothing more than bragging rights, and might very well lead to a more open minded approach to the hobby from the public. Should there be a fee associated with this? Well, if its state mandated with a state certification, I would think so. Someone has to pay for the educators' time, etc.
For example, if you want to hunt, you pay a fee for a license. That license fee covers the cost of hunter education courses, etc. as well as game management expenses such as salaries for wildlife officers, etc. The fee is minimal. Why not apply something along those lines to the keeping of hots? Just an opinion, I would very much like to hear some feedback.
