HUNTING

It’s autumn. Leaves are changing colors and blowing in the wind, and hunters are pursuing their favorite prey.

But as also is customary in the fall, they are being asked to conduct themselves carefully: Lurking in the shadows are anti-hunters, watching the hunters’ moves, hoping to obtain some ammunition for their cause.

“Along with another glorious season comes the anti-hunters’ annual dose of venom,” warns the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America, a lobbying/watch-dog group for hunters’ rights.

Nevada’s Division of Wildlife is telling hunters to play it safe and cautioned against carrying loaded weapons in vehicles. The Safari Club Internationals is telling its members to turn in poachers, branding them “Outlaws.”

“They are not only poaching game, shooting up signs and knocking down fences--they are putting our privilege to hunt in jeopardy,” said club spokesman Gray Thornton.

In Wyoming, the Game and Fish Department is urging big game hunters to cover their kill before packing it on the roof of their cars and to act responsibly while carrying it through town.

Said an agency spokesman: “A deer or elk strapped to a vehicle with a cigar hanging out of its mouth may seem comical to a few, but it is simply crass to many nonhunters.”