THAT PHOTO: OK, we’ll admit our initial reaction was “Ugh” … but
we got over it.

We pick up today on the discussion of the Era’s use on Tuesday
of a deer carcass suspended from the patio roof at the DeSoto
Holiday House, with the hunter peeking out from his motel room. As
we explained Saturday we don’t often use such a shot on page 1 but
this picture did have some unique characteristics.

Or so we thought.

More input today: Bill Potter of Port Allegany writes, “Your
photo of the buck harvest in today’s online issue is rather
questionable for a newspaper. I am a former hunter and know many
people like to hunt but many readers are not hunters. Therefore a
photo of this type can bring much deserved criticism not only to
your paper but the hunting practice in general.”

“We need to harvest excess annual production but throwing it on
the front page in the face of those people who do not enjoy or
accept this practice can only create adverse reactions.

“I know it plays a major part in our area economy but maybe we
could just write about the impact and leave the photos to the
sports page!”

J. Oliphant of 76 Oakwood Ave. wrote, “Normally, I enjoy reading
the Era. I think it is one of the better newspapers in the area.
However, I’m tired of seeing the obligatory dead animal with the
arrival of opening day. The picture on Tuesday’s Era turned a
beautiful majestic wild animal into a victim of a lynching!”

As always, our readers feedback has given us pause.

And we’re left with a few thoughts, one from another reader who
commented, “This is deer country. Get over it.”

We also had occasion to look at the front page of the Kane
Republican on the same date. On its front page was a picture of
five dead deer, strung up, as entrants in that town’s Big Buck
Contest. In living color! (At least ours was in black and white)

Finally, we hope all our critics are vegetarians.