I expected rancor, high emotion and fireworks. Who wouldn’t complain, years into a recession, at being targeted for a substantial hike in fees?     What happened at last Saturday’s hunters’ roundtable was nothing of the kind.

As the sun dips toward the horizon, Venus and Jupiter appear high in the west. Venus, the brighter of the two, shines roughly five degrees below Jupiter at week’s end, but that gap is closing fast. They reach their nearest on Tuesday, shining side by side a mere three degrees apart. Visible for almost four hours after sunset, this is the best conjunction of Venus and Jupiter for years to come. After Tuesday, Venus pulls above Jupiter, appearing a little higher each night. Even so, the two remain close together through March.

This year’s elongated February marked a different sort of Leap Year. FrogWatch USA joined with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for an amphibious census.     With nearly one-third of known amphibious species thought to be in danger of extinction, FrogWatch USA is hopping mad.     You can help combat species endangerment and extinction in several ways.

Where’s the money going to come from? If you say no new taxes, what are you willing to give up?     To those questions, posed in my Editor’s Letter of February 23, readers had lots to say. Here are your replies, edited for succinctness.