‘Critter Roundup’ goes off without threatened protests

ALBANY — As temperatures were beginning to drop Friday, 22 teams of hunters were registering for the first  Critter Round-Up sponsored by Shiver Outdoor & Archery and Shiver Lumber Co.

Prior to the roundup, which offered cash prizes for collecting “nuisance animals,” social media buzzed with posts in support of and in opposition to the event. In anticipation of potential protests, which had been threatened, officers with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office were present to calm things down if the need arose. However, none of the posted nor telephoned threats to protest or disrupt the event came to fruition.

The registered teams included families, high school buddies, and wizened hunting partners. The methods for hunting were just as varied, with some teams using red lights and .22s and others using AR-based firearms mounted with infrared or thermal scopes. Jess Bolton decided to go old-school and showed up in his buckskins with plans to hunt with his son using flintlocks.

License plates at registration showed hunters from across southwest Georgia and from as far away as Schley County and Decatur County trying to cash in on the bounties being offered to the top three teams.

At the Saturday-morning tally, steaming cups of coffee indicated the long and frosty night had many teams stopping at a Waffle House before showing up for scoring. The cool weather and waning crescent moon seemed to have favored a few teams that had harvest totals in double digits. It was evident that high technology did not guarantee success as other teams laughed about their small head count. However, many were already strategizing on how to improve their odds next time.

A few wayward hogs and coyotes also had the bad luck of crossing the path of these nocturnal hunters.

“I appreciate the support of the hunters and landowners across southwest Georgia,” Wade Shiver, who sponsored the event, said. “Most of those opposing the event were from out of town and may not understand the need to manage these species. I want to stress this was aimed at management, not the eradication of any species.”

Special Photo