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Show FEBRUARY 8,2007 THE GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER Page 5 I Garfield County MSWE'k CARE INSTRUCTIONS • For optimum growth _ . . . . . not on: : put outside, give plenty \ 24 Weeks/$480 Prepay contract That's only $20/week for a 1/8 Page Ad. This ad will appear in every PO Box in Garfield County every other week all year long. You can change the content weekly, and you can double up on usage for larger ads. Best Advertising Rates Available! Call 676-2621 for details! of sunlight PROPOSED MINIMUM AGE CHANGES FOR BIG GAME HUNTING New opportunities that benefit families and wildlife What is proposed? Accidents • Big game MONEY TALKS; AS DO ORTHOPEDISTS for big game \ • Reduce the minimum age requirements minimum \ State hunters under age THE ELDERLAW FORUM ~~ Professor Michael Myers for hunting big game from 14 to 12. hunting age 14 from 2000-05 • Money talks; and doctors—particularly orthopedic physicians— • Utah's requirements for hunter educa0 often talk the way they are paid to talk by insurance companies. 10 tion and adult supervision will remain in Arizona That allegation was put forth by a 73-year-old Arizona man who called my effect. California 12 senior legal helpline. He asked for advice with respect to injuries sustained while What are the minimum big game Colorado 12 employed by an auto rental agency. He was involved in an auto accident while hunting ages in other states? Idaho 12 driving ah agency car—a workers compensation injury arising out of his employUtah has the most restrictive youth 12 ment. big game hunting regulations in the west- Montana "They put me on some pain medication, paid for a few weeks of physical ern United States. Nevada 12 therapy—which would have been covered by Medicare anyway—then told me Why make the change? New Mexico None my continuing back problems are due to my age, not the accident." He was so According to the national Youth Oregon 12 informed by his employer's workers compensation insurance carrier with an en- Hunting Report compiled by the National Not applicable 14 closed "medical report" from the orthopedic surgeon who performed an "indepen- Shooting Sports Foundation and the Na- Utah dent" examination. Washington None tional Wild Turkey Federation: The report concluded that the caller's persistent symptoms were due to "disc • Youth hunters (ages 6 to 10) are safe. Wyoming 12 space narrowing, most likely related to aging." The carrier announced it would not In 2002, with 1.7 million young hunters pay for further medical care and was closing its file. spending over 15.3 million days in thefield,there were 77 hunting-related shooting "I rarely went to doctors because I've been in good shape my entire life," said accidents reported. the caller. "I have never had back problems, but now I can't sleep at night and • Hunting in general is safe. Statistically, the number of people injured or killed in have continued leg pain. I know it is all a result of the accident." hunting-related shooting accidents is similar to the number of people injured or It left the caller with a temporary partial disability or perhaps a permanent killed by lightening strikes. partial disability compensable under the Arizona workers compensation program. • Youth hunting rates are declining and now is the time to facilitate participation The physician who examined him was bought by the insurance company. and aggressively recruit new hunters. I informed the caller that the examin• Youth recruitment is less successful in ing physician was not his friend; rather states with higher youth hunting restriche was a friend of the insurance comDean Gledhill - Realtor tions. pany. Most orthopedic practices generHome: 435-826-4378 • The minimum age for hunting small ate substantial revenues from insurance game in Utah was eliminated in 2006. Cell: 435-616-4378 companies by examining people with perMore than 2,500 hunters age 12 and Office: 435-986-0220 sonal injury claims. Insurance-fiinded under hunted small game in Utah during EXIT RED ROCK REALTY dgledhill@exitredrockrcalty.com exams are "conservative" and not patient2006 with no reported accidents. friendly. • Reductions in hunter numbers will harm ONE ACRE LOT, in Moqui Gardens, comes with Escalante city water meter, "It was just a part-time, minimum-wage the hunting economy and adversely afsewer, little apartment, new metal shed on concrete pad. 800 west 435 south. job," said the caller. "It wasn't worth this." fect conservation. Escalante $87,500 I advised that he engage an attorney with On November 22, 2005, the Utah BEAUTIFUL RANCH, located 3 miles workers compensation experience. Also Wildlife Board endorsed reducing the south of Escalante. Close to airport, he should ask his family physician for a minimum age for big game hunting from County road to property. Comes with tt referral to an orthopedist that functions 14 to 12. Public sentiment at Regional all equipment. 415 acres $625,000. >,nted outside the insurance-defense business. Advisory Council meetings generally MIS In all probability he will not be able to find exitredrockrealty. com supported this change to the minimum one. Why? Money talks. big game hunting age. BE «St, |